Reporter: ON SATURDAY
MORNING, MAY 1st, 2004,
BARRY BLAZE WAS RIDING HIS
MOTORCYCLE HOME FROM A
FAMILY GATHERING.
HIS WIFE, CYNTHIA, WAS IN A
VAN AHEAD OF HIM.
A STORM WAS APPROACHING, AND
BARRY HOPED HE COULD MAKE IT
HOME.
A BRIDGE WAS STRAIGHT
AHEAD.
IT STARTED TO SPRINKLE.
AND WE WERE KIND OF DRIVING
AROUND, HOME, AND RIGHT
BEFORE WE GET ON TO THIS
BRIDGE, IT STARTED TO
REALLY, REALLY RAIN, REALLY
HARD.
WE WERE LIKE, THIS ISN'T
GOOD.
BARRY SHOULDN'T BE DRIVING
IN THIS.
BUT WE WERE ALREADY ON TO
THE BRIDGE, AND IT IS JUST A
TWO-LANE ROAD.
AND THERE IS NO PLACE TO
STOP.
WE WERE PRAYING THAT BARRY
DIDN'T GET ON THE BRIDGE.
Reporter: CYNTHIA AND
HER PARENTS WERE PRAYING AND
LOOKED BACK TO SEE IF HE
MADE IT ACROSS THE BRIDGE.
WE TURNED BACK AND LOOKED
ON THE BRIDGE, AND THAT'S
WHEN WE SAW A WHOLE BUNCH OF
CARS STOPPED, AND WE KNEW.
Reporter: THE FORCE OF
THE WIND AND RAIN AND THE
WATER ON THE ROAD, HAD SENT
BARRY HEAD-FIRST INTO THE
CONCRETE BARRIER.
IT WAS VERY BAD.
HIS HELMET WAS CRACKED IN
THE FRONT.
AND THE STUFFING WAS COMING
OUT OF IT.
AND HIS EARS WERE BLEEDING.
Reporter: PARAMEDICS
RUSHED BARRY TO THE CLOSEST
TRAUMA HOSPITAL WHERE
DOCTORS GAVE HIM NO CHANCE
OF SURVIVAL.
HE WAS REALLY SEVERELY
AFFECTED BY THE HEAD
TRAUMA.
HE HAD TWO DETACHED RETINAS,
WHICH MEANT THAT THE NERVES
OF HIS EYES HAD ACTUALLY
PULLED AWAY FROM THE GLOBE,
WHICH TAKES A SEVERE
INJURY.
AND, IN ADDITION, HE HAD
INJURIES TO BOTH EARS, WHICH
IS AN UNUSUAL SITUATION.
AND HE WAS SUFFERING FROM
HEARING LOSS AND WAS -- YOU
KNOW, WAS NOT EXPECTED TO
SURVIVE.
Reporter: BARRY
REMAINED IN THE COMAS AND
DOCTORS DID A CAT SCAN TO
CHECK FOR SKULL FRACTURES.
THEY FOUND NONE, BUT BARRY
WAS STILL UNCONSCIOUS.
I WAS WAITING IN THE
WAITING ROOM, AND I CALLED
MY SISTER, AND SHE JUST
PRAYED WITH ME.
AND IT WAS THE BEST THING,
WHAT I NEEDED, AT THAT
MOMENT.
Reporter: BARRY MADE IT
THROUGH THE NIGHT, MUCH TO
THE DOCTORS' AMAZEMENT.
BUT WOKE UP THE NEXT DAY AND
REALIZED HE WAS BLIND AND
PARTIALLY DEAF.
IT WAS DIFFICULT AT
TIMES, BUT I ALWAYS KNEW --
BUT HE'S HERE.
AND I WAS JUST GLAD TO HAVE
HIM FOR ANOTHER DAY.
Reporter: AS BARRIE
BECAME MORE ALERT, HE SPENT
A LOT OF TIME PRAYING.
I HAD THIS INCREDIBLE
SENSATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
COMING OVER ME AND TELLING
ME THAT EVERYTHING WAS GOING
TOBOéM BE OKAY, AND THAT GOD WAS
WITH ME.
AND THAT HE WAS NOW WRITING
A NEW CHAPTER IN MY LIFE.
I KNEW THAT HIS SENSES
WOULD BE DIFFERENT, AND I
WOULD BE NEEDING TO TAKE
CARE OF HIM FOR A WHILE.
BUT GOD HAD GIVEN ME A PEACE
THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE
OKAY.
Reporter: WHEN BARRY
WAS DISCHARGED FROM THE
HOSPITAL, HE HAD TO LEARN
HOW TO WALK AND BALANCE
HIMSELF AGAIN.
SPECIALISTS PERFORMED
MULTIPLE SURGERIES TO REPAIR
HIS RETINAS AND HIS INNER
EARS.
I WAS TRYING TO LOOK IN
THE MIRROR, AND I COULDN'T
SEE MYSELF.
I CAN REMEMBER BEING SO
FRIGHTENED AND FEELING
VULNERABLE THAT I BEGAN
SHAKING.
IN AN INSTANT, MY WHOLE LIFE
HAD BEEN ALMOST TAKEN AWAY
FROM ME, AND I HAD THE MOST
AMOUNT OF FEAR AND
INSECURITY THAT WAS MATCH
IMAGINABLE.
Reporter: BARRY
WONDERED ABOUT HIS CAREER AS
A WORSHIP LEADER AND A
MUSICIAN AND HOW HE WOULD
SUPPORT HIS FAMILY.
I CRIED OUT TO GOD AND I
SAID, IF YOU'LL GIVE ME
ENOUGH HEARING BACK SO I CAN
JUST HEAR PITCH, AND IF I
CAN JUST HEAR THAT AND SING
TO YOU AGAIN, THAT WOULD
ALLOW MY HEART TO REJOICE SO
MUCH.
AND THAT'S ALL I WANT.
SO GOD STARTED TO RESTORE
THAT FROM THAT DAY FORWARD.
Reporter: BARRY'S
RECOVERY WAS LONG AND
CHALLENGING.
CYNTHIA REMEMBERS CROSSING
THE FIRST BIG MILESTONE.
I REMEMBER THE FIRST DAY
HE ACTUALLY HEARD THE COFFEE
POT.
AND IT WAS JUST LIKE SOME
SMALL, LITTLE THING, BUT
THAT MEANT A LOT.
Reporter: OWE
VERBALLY -- EVENTUALLY,
BARRY WAS ABLE TO SEE
CLEARLY, AND CAN HEAR WELL
ENOUGH WITH A HEARING AID TO
RETURN TO WHAT HE LOVES.
IT IS MIRACULOUS THE WAY
HE RECOVERED FROM THE SEVERE
HEAD TRIAL.
IN MY MIND, GOD IS THE ONE
WHO GETS THE CREDIT.
Reporter: WITH LIMITED
HEARING, BARRY PENNED A NEW
SERIES OF SONGS FOR HIS
BAND.
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT
MOMENT FOR ME IN THIS
HEALING PROCESS WAS THE
ABILITY, AGAIN, TO START
RECORDING.
AS GOD GAVE THOSE THINGS
BACK TO ME, IT WAS HUGE FOR
ME.
Reporter: THROUGH THE
WHOLE ORDEAL, BARRY HAD COME
TO REALIZE NO MATTER HOW
DIFFICULT THE STRUGGLE HE
FACES, GOD IS ALWAYS THERE
TO STRENGTHEN HIM.
WHAT ALL OF THIS HAS
TAUGHT ME, DEFINITELY, FAITH
AND TRUST AND KNOWING THAT
GOD IS THERE.
AND HE'S GOING TO TAKE MY
HAND THROUGH THE HARDEST
TIMES.
AND THOUGH I WILL HAVE A LOT
OF FEAR SOMETIMES, I WILL
KNOW HE IS WITH ME.
AND I'M HELD TIGHT IN HIS
NOTORIOUS RIGHT HAND.
