KINGSTON — From all accounts, Jim Norberg is a man of faith. And it’s faith that’s keeping him from being resentful or full of self-pity, even as he enters his fourth month of recovery from a head-on collision in which his youngest daughter was injured and the other driver, deemed to be responsible for the crash, died.
He’s not resentful, even as he labors in rehabilitation in Seattle to recover from head injuries, two shattered ankles, a shattered femur, a lacerated liver and several other broken bones. Even as his body fights off an infection so he can undergo another surgery. Even as his bank account is drained, the house he rented vacated, his earthly possessions in storage.
People who know Norberg, a 52-year-old father of two and grandfather of one, say he knows there’s something bigger than him going on; this trial of Job he’s undergoing has a purpose.
“The whole family, they definitely have a strong faith in God,” said Brian Whelan, a family friend. “He’s viewing things through that prism. He has a larger perspective and is trying to see, ‘What am I having to learn from this, what is God doing in my life?’ Having that perspective from a faith standpoint, he’s able to say, ‘There’s something larger than me going on. What the larger picture?’”
Perhaps this is the larger picture: Norberg’s hospitalization and recovery has brought hundreds of people together, reinforced their sense of community, bolstered their belief that though we may walk through a dark valley we are not alone.
“The folks that have really banded together … there are some really amazing efforts going on,” Whelan said.
Kristi Lindsay, another Norberg friend, said, “It’s what Kingston does. It’s a community that comes together.”
Jim Norberg
Since the crash on March 11, the community has hosted fundraisers to help defray Norberg’s medical costs (he was a self-employed handyman and underinsured). They moved his furnishings and belongings out of the home he rented, cleaned the place, and put his things in storage.
Lindsay, an organizer of a community benefit for Norberg on June 13 — more on that in a minute — said someone asked her what she could do to help. The individual handed Lindsay a check for $800 to pay Norberg’s last month’s rent.
“This has been an ongoing effort by a group of 15 core people and numerous businesses in the area,” Whelan said. “It’s a perfect example of a community coming together to support someone who is struggling and it has been heart-warming to see people rally to this cause. There have been a number of fundraising events since Jim and [his daughter] Kayli’s accident and there will be a few more throughout the summer and people have volunteered to help Jim with accommodations and meet various other needs.”
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 13, volunteers will present “Family Picnic in the Park and Family Fun Dog Walk — The Jim Norbert Community Fundraiser” at The Country Pet Shoppe and Village Green Park in Kingston.
The 5K and 1K Dog Walks begin at Country Pet Shoppe at 10 a.m. and end at Village Green. (Register at 360-267-4165 or on the Jim Norberg Community Facebook page.)
At Village Green, pitch a picnic blanket or lawn chair and listen to live music. The Tracie Marsh Band and the Boot Scootin’ Grannies will perform. Design your own cupcake, get your face painted by artist Sallie Nau, enjoy a therapeutic massage courtesy of Kingston Crossing Wellness Clinic, and play a game of chance to win one of several gift baskets worth $80 to $600; gift baskets include “A Taste of Tuscany,” “Seahawks Surprise,” “FANTASTIC Dinner and Movie Night,” and “Pie of the Month.”
Perhaps the biggest gift of all: Norberg will be there. He’ll get a break from his antibiotic IV, a friend will drive him over on the 10:30 ferry, he’ll stay for couple of hours and then head back.
‘We’re so thankful’
Margaret Norberg, Jim’s mother, said the community response to her son’s plight has been “overwhelming.”
“I’ve always known North Kitsap and Kingston to be a great community. Why did I leave eight years ago and come back?” she said. “We would have been floundering without this community. They just took over so we were able to concentrate on what was going on at the hospital. We’re so thankful.”
This is the second time a car crash has violently shaken this family. Jim’s brother, D.J., was killed in a head-on collision in 1993 near Port Gamble. She said she prays for the mother of the young man who was killed in the crash that injured Jim and Kayli.
“I know what she’s going through,” Margaret said. “I pray for her and her family. I know her broken heart.”
She’s grateful that she’s here to help care for her son; she returned to the area a year ago. And she’s grateful for the progress she’s seeing in her son and granddaughter.
“Kayli is doing excellent,” Margaret said. “She’s doing physical therapy in Poulsbo. Her femur has just about healed. She’s an athlete, she’s strong, and that’s helped.” The therapist said Kayli, an incoming sophomore at Kingston High School, will be able to play basketball this year for the Bucs, Margaret said.
Jim “he had a big day yesterday. For the first time in three months, he was able to stand up and put his full weight on his left foot and 50 percent on his right foot. That means they can now be more aggressive and start more acute physical therapy. He was so thrilled. He said he could see the light at the end of the tunnel. And today that light was brighter.”
Schedule of events
10 a.m.: Family Fun 5K and 1K Dog Walks begin at Country Pet Shoppe in Kingston and end at Village Green Community Park.
11 a.m.: The Tracie Marsh Band plays the first set while lunch begins. The menu: Hot dogs (pure beef Polish sausages) and “gourmet” hamburgers and cheeseburgers.
Noon: The Boot Scootin’ Grannies perform.
1 p.m.: The Tracie Marsh Band plays the second set.
2 p.m.: Festivities conclude.
ONLINE: Keep up on Norberg’s recovery on the Jim Norberg Community Facebook page. You can help the cause at www.gofundme.com/Norberg or the Jim Norberg Survivor Fund at any Kitsap Credit Union branch.
