Hit by a Car Twice… God Had Other Plans

Patrick Toussaint should not be here. He was hit by a car at 13. Flew over the windshield. Landed on his shoulder. 305 stitches. A week in the hospital. No broken bones.

Two years later, riding a bike again, he got hit by another car. Another week in the hospital. Different scars. Still no broken bones.

At 15, he looked up and said: okay, God, you have my attention.

In this episode of Choosing Jesus Christ, Elder Avalos sits down with Patrick, a public speaker, TED Talk presenter, and lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to hear how two car accidents, a patriarchal blessing, and 40 years of answered prayers built a faith that nothing has been able to shake.

A Son of a Nun From the Bronx

Patrick grew up in Miami, Florida, in a home shaped by two very different worlds. His mother had been a Catholic nun in Haiti before leaving the convent, marrying, and having Patrick at 41. His dad was Haitian. They raised Patrick Catholic, and he loved it. He loved the readings, the mass, the involvement.

When Patrick was 12, two French-speaking missionaries knocked on the door while his dad was out. His mom listened to all the discussions and chose to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Patrick had no interest. He was an usher at mass. He was Catholic. When his mom told him he was joining too, he went through the motions because arguing with his mother was not an option.

He was baptized on April 6th, his 13th birthday. He was not converted. Not even close. That came later, on a street, under the wheels of a car.

Two Accidents and One Question

The first accident happened four months after his baptism. The second came two years later, almost to the day. After surviving both with no broken bones, Patrick stopped being passive about his faith. He went to his room, shut the door, got on his knees, and asked Heavenly Father one question: why am I still alive?

He did not see a vision. No one appeared. But the answer came clearly through the Holy Ghost: go to church and ask questions. When you hear something, ask more about it.

So he did. He started showing up differently. He started asking. The answers made sense. The people in his little Haitian branch were always smiling. He wanted to understand why. That curiosity eventually led him to Ricks College in Idaho, where he took Old Testament, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants classes. Before leaving for his mission, he received his patriarchal blessing. He says he still reads it today at 53 years old. It answered the question he had been carrying since those two accidents: this is why you are alive.

Faith Built One Answer at a Time

Patrick served a mission in Houston, Texas, and loved every minute. In the Bible Belt, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were welcomed into Baptist homes all the time. But those conversations required scripture. If he gave an answer without a verse to back it up, it did not land. So he became fluent in the Bible. He learned to share what he believed through the scriptures his friends already trusted.

He compares faith to Alma 32. It starts as a mustard seed. Every answered prayer fertilizes it. You pray for something small, like finding your keys, and you find them. You say thank you. Then something bigger comes and you trust a little more. After 40 years, those small moments have stacked into something unshakeable.

The biggest test came when his wife was diagnosed with cancer. They got the call in the kitchen. She looked at him and said the words. They went straight to their bedroom, got on their knees, and told Heavenly Father they had no idea what to do. Then they spent the next ten days doing every spiritual thing they knew. Temple. Fasting. Scriptures. Prayer. The PET scan came back with results that were treatable. Two rounds of chemo. Six weeks of radiation. His wife rang the bell at the cancer center when treatment ended. She is a nurse today.

Patrick says his faith was never in the doctors. It was in Heavenly Father guiding the doctors. That is still how he approaches everything.

Doing God's Will Is How He Says Thank You

Patrick is a public speaker, a Spartan racer at 53, a father of eight, and someone whose son recently opened a mission call to Atlanta, Georgia. He posts about temple trips and family baptisms on social media. People comment: I had no idea mission calls were that big of a deal. Tell me more.

He does not see any of that as strategy. He sees it as living his life out loud and letting Heavenly Father use it. His purpose has not changed since he was 15 years old lying in a hospital bed: he is here to help people. Everything else, the TED Talks, the public speaking, the social media, is just tools for that.

He chooses Jesus Christ because Jesus Christ is everything. Creator. Redeemer. Judge. The one person who knows every sin, every frustration, every hard thing Patrick has ever carried. That is who he wants judging him. Someone who knows.

Key Takeaways

1. Conversion does not always happen at baptism. Patrick was baptized at 13 and converted at 15. God used two car accidents to get his attention. He meets people where they are.

2. Faith grows through small answered prayers. It starts with finding your keys. Over 40 years those moments add up to something immovable.

3. Trials are not a sign that God has left. They are the conditions for growth. Patrick points to Adam and Eve, the ancient prophets, and Jesus Christ Himself as proof.

4. Doing God's will is an act of gratitude. Patrick does not just say thank you to Heavenly Father. He shows it by living the commandments and serving others.

5. Jesus Christ is the perfect judge because He experienced everything we have experienced. That is not a liability. That is the point.

Want to hear Patrick tell his story in his own words? Listen to this episode of the Choosing Jesus Christ Podcast. And if you are wondering why you are still here, visit ChoosingJesusChrist.org. Our missionaries would love to talk with you.