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Benjamin Hylden was a typical teenager who loved sports and dreamed of becoming a professional basketball player one day. This all changed when his world was flipped upside down on Good Friday in 2007.
While on his way to an appointment, Hylden was speeding down a dirt road in Park River, North Dakota, when he lost control of his vehicle. The car flipped several times and Ben was ejected, slamming headfirst into a half-frozen field.
"The pain was insane," said Benjamin. "This was that moment where life became real."
Hylden,16 years old at the time, knew where he was but had no way of letting anyone know what happened. All he wanted to do was get back home to his parents.
Benjamin began crawling on his back in hopes of making it home before he died. He soon heard the faint voices of a man and woman.
He called them 'two nice people.' Unbeknownst to him, the pair turned out to be his parents. Emergency crews were called and Hylden was rushed to hospital.
Riddled with severe internal injuries, a shattered face and a traumatic brain injury, Hylden was given just a 5% chance of survival.
“Many miracles happened on that day for my life to be saved,” said Hylden. “Yet the greatest miracle on that day remained a secret, even from me, until much later.”
Hylden found his way back to God. He has since written about his journey in his book, Finding Faith in the Field. He is also a speaker now, sharing his story with youth and young adults in hopes of helping them build a relationship with Jesus.
"Once you realize what it's done for you, it has awakened you," said Ben. "It has made your life joyful no matter the situation because you're feeling the next life. You're feeling eternal life inside yourself and realizing people knew this feeling because this is God."