By: Jennifer Oleen-Rook
He calls her his "miracle baby" and he's pretty sure no father has ever been more close to a child than he is to her and she to him, but when you wait as long as Joe Summerall did for a child to come into your life, and then when you survive a great tragedy together, life just kinda works out that way.
She was not only his miracle baby, but also a "dream baby" for Joe and his wife, Shirley. The couple married in their early 20's, when Joe returned from an LDS mission to Japan. But, after suffering a major illness upon his return coupled with health problems Shirley had, the couple was told they would never be able to conceive a child. 18 years later, however, Shirley became violently ill while on a fishing trip in the Pacific Ocean. Joe was sure she was just seasick, but Shirley had another feeling. When she got to dry land Shirley took a pregnancy test and sure enough, it was positive. Miracle of all miracles, Shirley was pregnant!
Shirley and Joe didn't have much time to prepare for the baby, though, because Shirley was actually quite far along in the pregnancy. A short seven weeks later Shayla Summerall came into the world a beautiful, healthy, and much loved child. Shirley and Joe were over the moon in love with their new daughter and Shirley even dreamed about Shayla at night.
When Shayla was just seven months old, tragedy struck the small family. Shirley and Shayla were in a car accident. Shirley was killed, but Shayla survived, clinging to life in critical condition. The infant had suffered a head injury, a depressed skull fracture, and was kept in the hospital to stabilize her blood pressure. A spike in pressure most likely would've killed Shayla but the infant held on. At one point Joe's mother, who was sitting with the baby, said she could just feel Shirley's presence in the hospital room so she said aloud, "Shirley, you're not taking Shayla with you. You are leaving her here for Joe." Joe recalls, "Things got quite intense after that, but Shayla pulled through. She's a fighter and she pulled through to stay here with me."
And just like that, Joe became a single father showering his little girl with all the love and attention a girl could need and then some. Joe, a busy deputy for the Duchesne County Sheriff Department, was not alone. His parents were nearby and were always there to lend support and keep an eye on Joe. When she was just 4 months old Joe put Shayla up on her first horse and went for a ride. The horse began to act up a little just when Joe's parents happened to drive by. "Yeah, I definitely got a butt chewing when I got home. Mom didn't like that too much." Joe laughs.
It's just that, I'd waited for a kid for so long and I was ready to show her everything and to teach her everything." Joe explains. "Mom and them all razzed me and said, "She is not a boy!". But I wanted her to be independent so I've taught Shayla to do everything I can do so she can take care of herself. She's a bit of a tom boy, but I kept her a little lady as well." Someone else had a hand in helping Joe raise up a little lady, however, Shayla was just 18 months old when Joe got married to his current wife Terri and Terri said there was a special bond between father and daughter even before she met Joe.
In fact, it took Joe quite a while to ask Terri to marry him. "It was frustrating!" Terri recalls. "I remember sitting in the car one night though, just feeling pretty rotten about it all when I just felt this presence and I heard a voice say, "Just be patient, Terri. Joe will come around eventually." I am positive it was Shirley. She's been looking out for both Shayla and Joe all along." And Joe did. He popped the question to Terri not long after that night.
Joe continued to take his little girl with him everywhere he went. He'd take Shayla with him to work cows, feeding animals on the farm and when he went on forest patrols. "Shayla knew how to spot a deer even before she could say the word or names of any animals. In fact, 'deer' was her first word." Shayla's interest in horses started, of course, when she was a baby, but it was never a passing phase for her. Shayla, 18 years old now, is still riding and competing in rodeos with her dad by her side. "He's my main man." She says. "He's my biggest cheerleader, my teacher, my support and my best friend. I don't know how I got so lucky to have him for a dad, but I don't know what I'd ever do without him. He's just the BEST."
Like most 18 year olds, Shayla has big plans for her future. Her plans include competing in a lot of rodeos and then heading off to college to specialize in horse massage in Montana. Now, I'm not much of a gambler, but if I were looking for a safe bet, I'd bet odds on Joe moving to Montana right alongside his daughter. After all, it's her turn to take him on some new adventures. There is no one else on earth she'd rather take along anyway. It's a father/daughter match made in heaven, watched over from heaven, and a bond not even Heaven could ever break.
He calls her his "miracle baby" and he's pretty sure no father has ever been more close to a child than he is to her and she to him, but when you wait as long as Joe Summerall did for a child to come into your life, and then when you survive a great tragedy together, life just kinda works out that way.
She was not only his miracle baby, but also a "dream baby" for Joe and his wife, Shirley. The couple married in their early 20's, when Joe returned from an LDS mission to Japan. But, after suffering a major illness upon his return coupled with health problems Shirley had, the couple was told they would never be able to conceive a child. 18 years later, however, Shirley became violently ill while on a fishing trip in the Pacific Ocean. Joe was sure she was just seasick, but Shirley had another feeling. When she got to dry land Shirley took a pregnancy test and sure enough, it was positive. Miracle of all miracles, Shirley was pregnant!
Shirley and Joe didn't have much time to prepare for the baby, though, because Shirley was actually quite far along in the pregnancy. A short seven weeks later Shayla Summerall came into the world a beautiful, healthy, and much loved child. Shirley and Joe were over the moon in love with their new daughter and Shirley even dreamed about Shayla at night.
When Shayla was just seven months old, tragedy struck the small family. Shirley and Shayla were in a car accident. Shirley was killed, but Shayla survived, clinging to life in critical condition. The infant had suffered a head injury, a depressed skull fracture, and was kept in the hospital to stabilize her blood pressure. A spike in pressure most likely would've killed Shayla but the infant held on. At one point Joe's mother, who was sitting with the baby, said she could just feel Shirley's presence in the hospital room so she said aloud, "Shirley, you're not taking Shayla with you. You are leaving her here for Joe." Joe recalls, "Things got quite intense after that, but Shayla pulled through. She's a fighter and she pulled through to stay here with me."
And just like that, Joe became a single father showering his little girl with all the love and attention a girl could need and then some. Joe, a busy deputy for the Duchesne County Sheriff Department, was not alone. His parents were nearby and were always there to lend support and keep an eye on Joe. When she was just 4 months old Joe put Shayla up on her first horse and went for a ride. The horse began to act up a little just when Joe's parents happened to drive by. "Yeah, I definitely got a butt chewing when I got home. Mom didn't like that too much." Joe laughs.
It's just that, I'd waited for a kid for so long and I was ready to show her everything and to teach her everything." Joe explains. "Mom and them all razzed me and said, "She is not a boy!". But I wanted her to be independent so I've taught Shayla to do everything I can do so she can take care of herself. She's a bit of a tom boy, but I kept her a little lady as well." Someone else had a hand in helping Joe raise up a little lady, however, Shayla was just 18 months old when Joe got married to his current wife Terri and Terri said there was a special bond between father and daughter even before she met Joe.
In fact, it took Joe quite a while to ask Terri to marry him. "It was frustrating!" Terri recalls. "I remember sitting in the car one night though, just feeling pretty rotten about it all when I just felt this presence and I heard a voice say, "Just be patient, Terri. Joe will come around eventually." I am positive it was Shirley. She's been looking out for both Shayla and Joe all along." And Joe did. He popped the question to Terri not long after that night.
Joe continued to take his little girl with him everywhere he went. He'd take Shayla with him to work cows, feeding animals on the farm and when he went on forest patrols. "Shayla knew how to spot a deer even before she could say the word or names of any animals. In fact, 'deer' was her first word." Shayla's interest in horses started, of course, when she was a baby, but it was never a passing phase for her. Shayla, 18 years old now, is still riding and competing in rodeos with her dad by her side. "He's my main man." She says. "He's my biggest cheerleader, my teacher, my support and my best friend. I don't know how I got so lucky to have him for a dad, but I don't know what I'd ever do without him. He's just the BEST."
Like most 18 year olds, Shayla has big plans for her future. Her plans include competing in a lot of rodeos and then heading off to college to specialize in horse massage in Montana. Now, I'm not much of a gambler, but if I were looking for a safe bet, I'd bet odds on Joe moving to Montana right alongside his daughter. After all, it's her turn to take him on some new adventures. There is no one else on earth she'd rather take along anyway. It's a father/daughter match made in heaven, watched over from heaven, and a bond not even Heaven could ever break.
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