One Saturday morning of May 2007 Ryan Finley saw his life take a turn he didn’t expect. When he woke up he found his wife, Jill, unconscious; even as he worked to resuscitate her, she continued unconscious. Unfrosted, paramedics flooded into the place and took her straight to the hospital. The prognosis was bleak: A heart arrest left Jill in a coma.
Harrassed and hot outside emergency room, Ryan heard the doctor saying, “You need to start praying”. The reality of the situation smacked him hard. He could not go with the idea of losing his lively 31-year-old wife. Listening to Ryan read the Bible to Jill during the two weeks that she was in a coma soothed Ryan. he prayed to a god she might be raised.
The Decision Makes to Remove Life Support
Ryan had to make up his mind after eleven days whether to turn off the life support for Jill. They believed her health would not improve; Ryan knew that was what it meant that she could die shortly after. Ambiguous about what lay ahead, he decided to continue. Life support was switched off on her 14th day into coma.
A Wonderful Awakening
Jill began to twitch and babble about that same time, five hours after this. Ryan had gone out to the waiting area to witness the last of his wife. The nurse rushed out though stating, “I think you need to come in, she’s talking”. Ryan’s heart skipped when he entered the room. What Jill’s first words were, “Get me out of here. I wish to return home. Drawing the names of her dogs to her memory and solving mental math problems, she could correctly answer his questions. She even ordered for dinner at her favourite Mexican restaurant.
A Second Opportunity at Life
Jill knew she was gone for some time even though she could not remember of the coma. Ryan attributed her incredible recovery to divine intervention, “God”. God. Divine intervention. I really think that. Jill had to reschool herself in simple motor skills like how to brush her teeth and how to tie her shoelaces as she gained greater strength. The couple appreciates they get some time together and treats this as a second life and a relationship to live in regardless of the difficulties.
Frequent musings about the fact that Jill is still with him as he kicks her and checks to see what happens, Ryan is still living in the tension and worry of that last incident.
