CONWAY — On Dec. 12, 2012, the world was praying for Robert Brooks.
While that may sound like an exaggeration, it’s hard to argue with. People throughout the United States, Europe and those in Christian missions in China, Russia and Africa hit their knees, whispered their prayers or simply spoke to God from their heart for the healing of a 22-year-old chemist from Conway who had been doused with a chemical mixture that included 93 percent sulfuric acid in an explosion at the Goes Green plant in Searcy.
“Those 12 days were just something else,” Brooks said of his days in the intensive care unit, unconscious in critical condition.
“There’s just bits and pieces of scenarios that my brain gave me … The only thing that was really concrete that I could feel, hear, all my senses kind of thing was pretty much when I encountered Jesus.”
That day took many things from Brooks, a 2012 graduate of Hendrix College and sought-after musician, playing the string bass in several orchestras, including the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.
A little more than 20 percent of his upper body was covered with second- and third-degree burns from the 600-degree explosion. He lost his right eye and most hearing (besides vibrations) in his right ear. He endured multiple skin grafts and is required to wear a compression suit for a year to help the healing process. Brooks estimated he was in the explosion for about two seconds and remained conscious enough to take a “safety shower,” and remembers all the details of going to the hospital, including telling the doctors the exact chemicals he had been doused with. He has gone through 19 surgeries and counting.
But Brooks doesn’t focus on what was taken away from him — it’s too painful to focus on that, he said — but how God changed his life for the better.
“I would not be here right now if it weren’t for prayer,” Brooks, now 23, said. “That’s my answer for just about everything … if you knew the story, you would know I’m not exaggerating.”
When the tight-knit, down-to-earth Brooks’ brood — parents Patrick and Robin, older brother Wesley and younger brother Cody — got the nightmare call that their beloved Robert had been in a serious chemical explosion, their first inclination was to turn to God.
Brother Cody, a soccer player at Lander University in Greenwood, S.C., put information on Twitter. Soon, the hashtag “#prayforrobert” was trending. Robin’s co-worker’s husband prayed over Robert after he was transferred from White County Medical Center to Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock and told missionaries in Africa, Russia and China to pray. Pastor Father John Marconi called Father Jason Tyler, pastor of St. Edward Church in Little Rock, who came to anoint Robert.
Wesley, only 361 days older than Robert, immediately took to Facebook, updating followers about Robert’s condition. Prayers started to spread from relatives to friends of friends to churches throughout the United States and beyond. Wesley said a former music professor from Russia had her family sending up prayers.
Wesley said, “For me to receive so much support from people that I had not spoken to personally or directly in such a long time, it was an act of God because of how quickly that awareness spread and how fast the prayers were being given.”
But what was perhaps the greatest plea were the desperate prayers of a mother, watching her son cling to life after doctors told her it was serious. She hit her knees in front of the painting of Jesus in the family’s living room.
“I just prayed and prayed and prayed, and I say I prayed myself into a tizzy,” Robin said. “And then the Lord showed me these tall, big angels and as they flapped their wings … Robert was breathing, He showed me. It was like I was over there watching this happen. I began to get really calm and the Lord showed me when I would kiss Robert’s feet … He said, ‘You’re not only kissing your son’s foot, your kissing mine.”
As the world was speaking to God for Robert throughout his 12 days unconscious in the hospital, the young man was hearing God’s words of comfort directly.
To understand the impact of Robert’s life-altering accident and his holy encounter, it’s imperative to know the young man himself.
Raised in Conway, Robert and his family attended St. Joseph Church.
Robert was drawn to chemistry, but the talented musician could never let the music in his life falter and graduated with a double major in chemistry and music.
Robert said he often remembers his final prayers in the months leading up to the accident, the same phrases every night: “Lord, use me to your will. Use me how you see fit. Do to me what you see is right.”
It was Dec. 12 and as Robert lay unconscious, God finally answered his prayer. “I got blown up; be careful what you ask for,” Robert said with a grin.
“You want to talk about a real-life pause button,” Robert said. “Everything was going great, I was flying high, but at the same time it was one of those, my pride got in the way and this was him saying, ‘OK you want me to use you? My turn.’”
While his family rushed to the hospital, his journey was just beginning. Someone was with Robert at the hospital every moment, his parents said.
Music played 24/7 in his hospital room. His mother said he at one point leaned up and began “waving his arms,” conducting a favorite song, “Hallelujah,” by Rufus Wainwright, as it was playing. His foot tapped along to the beats. Singer Michael Buble was a mainstay.
Since leaving the hospital Jan. 18, Robert’s life has been a whirlwind. His family has rallied together to help with aftercare and his health care expenses are jaw-dropping.
“He did not have one infection the entire time,” said Stephanie Kruse, Wesley’s fiancée who is a nursing student. “Burn victims are very susceptible to infection because you lose your first line of defense — your skin … So he lost 21 percent of his first line of defense and a lot close to his face, on your hands, things you use a lot.”
His sense of humor has not faded. Even in the hospital as his voice was deep and raspy after the dead tissue was cleared out, he wore a Batman mask and drew the blanket across like a cape. When famed Marvel Comics artists Elizabeth and Mitch Breitweiser heard about his accident and Robert’s love for the comics, they drew him a one-of-a-kind Captain America piece. It is fitting, his mother said, because, “He is Captain America to us.”
His days are not perfect. The pain has been excruciating at times and his initial gut reaction in the hospital was – Why me?
“For the longest time, I just had that sort of ‘why me’ thought. What is the significance of this? Why did this happen? I know why it happened, but why did it happen. For the longest time it just tormented me,” Robert said. “I kind of went into scientific analysis mode. I got halfway through and realized this is not an analytical situation. This is one you just have to look at where it all lies and just take it in stride. Let God take care of the rest.”
Since the accident, Robert has been learning every day just how big of a support system he has.
“It blows my mind when I think about it,” Robert said, “I didn’t understand to what degree he was using me. But then my little brother explained to me, ‘Dude, you were trending on Twitter.’ Even some of the people I know said I haven’t prayed in years, but when I heard this happened to you, I was on my knees in a heartbeat. I was like ‘whoa, what?’ … I can only get better now. One, (Jesus) told me he was going to take care of me, so what, am I not going to believe him? And then at the same time, apparently I touched a lot of people.”
Robert said he plans to visit patients at the burn unit at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, as well as participate in Camp Sunshine, a weekend for burn victims at Camp Aldersgate in Little Rock to meet with medical personnel and firemen and share their story.
And now, when he asks God to use him, he truly means it.
“I asked him to just use me as his son. And he did and is,” Robert said. “I have a feeling he has a lot more in store and this was just him getting me ready for it.”
