The day started out as they usually do. We were headed to the boardwalk but as we passed a house two streets from ours, I noticed a young man bent over someone on a front lawn. An elderly woman was stood over them. We stopped and asked if they needed help and she shouted, “Yes.”
I ran from the car as my husband called 911. The young man was a carpenter working on a house across the street. We learned from him later he had heard the woman’s cries for help when she came out of the house and found her husband fallen by a tree on the lawn.
The young man was on the phone talking to 911 at this point, getting instructions as he did chest compressions. Within two minutes two police vehicles arrived. The officers didn’t have a defibrillator but one took over the chest compressions. Within two minutes, the paramedics arrived with a defibrillator and started to work on the man.
As we watched helplessly, I spoke with the woman, asked her name, told her mine and learned they had no family on the island. She shared information about her husband as we both cried and looked on. Sometimes words weren’t possible. Then an officer and a paramedic needed to speak with her and I told her I would check back with her as she thanked me and went with them.
We left not knowing what happened, though the defibrillator hadn’t revived the man.
My husband and I were quiet as we drove away. We continued on to the boardwalk and as we left the car and took the familiar trail, the Blue Jays were their usual chatty selves, the squirrels approached tentatively looking for peanuts, and the shorebirds du jour looked for food along the beach. A Great Blue Heron fished in the marsh. We passed many familiar faces we see and speak with regularly and noticed some tourists enjoying the area too. And the birds still sang.
Life went on…though a man was gone and his wife’s life changed forever. So were we. We were glad to have stopped and offered assistance. We couldn’t imagine doing otherwise. However, we will not soon forget the scene or the faces of either of the two people, one whose life ended and the other whose life was so dramatically changed that day.
P.S. We have since spoken with the young man who arrived on the scene so quickly. He is to be admired for helping as he did. Not everyone would.
I have been in touch with the woman whose husband died that day and she is doing as well as can be expected. She and her husband had just returned from grocery shopping that morning.
You never know…
39 comments:
Yes, everything can change on a dime, can't it. Makes you think and appreciate each day.
I feel for that lady. I hope she has good neighbors and friends.
I am often reminded of how infinitesimal our lives are in the big picture. You are right, several lives changed forever. While nature and the rest of the world go on like nothing happened at all.
This was certainly a sobering moment for you and your husband to have witnessed first-hand, Marie. I was saddened to read of the outcome and it is true that we never know what the next moment holds for any of us. It was good of you to reach out to the man’s wife afterwards.
How very sad. It's true that everything can change in an instant, and the only thing to do for ourselves is to live every moment fully. Thank you for sharing this poignant story, Marie.
oh this was sad story indeed dear Marie !
i really appreciate not just young man but both of you who stopped by and waited until help arrived ,this is kindness which will come back to you eventually as it is in the pattern of Nature
life is unpredictable no doubt my friend!
hugs
the photo goes with words somehow
So sad, it reminds you how fragile life really is.
I'm sorry you were part of something so sad, but I'm so glad you stopped. I imagine you were probably a great comfort to the lady.
No, you never know, Marie. The house I had before I met Miriam was bought from a fellow who had gone into town to pick up a few groceries and came home to find his wife dead in her chair. When all is said and done, people live and people die, and there’s not much more to it.
i teared up a little as i read...
i am so glad you stopped, i am sure your calm nature brought this woman great comfort. her life will never be the same and perhaps yours will not either. this, a reminder of how precious life is and how quickly things can change. we need gentle reminders sometimes so we remember to appreciate every minute of every day!!
So sobering and sad. Life truly can change so quickly.
We would always stop and try to help and I would hope some one would do the same for us.
Getting older is certainly a challenge.
(((hugs)))
Sue
You never know indeed. Thank you, and everyone else who stopped to help.
Life can change in a moment and nothing is the same. After a while the others go on, only you can't. I honestly hope the lady has some friends or relatives who will be kind with her.
Oh my, what a sad day for this woman, and for you too. I'm sure she appreciated you staying with her while the police and paramedics tried their best to revive her husband. It would have been so lonely to look on, feeling helpless.
It certainly gives one a renewed appreciation for the people in our lives when there is a sudden death. Spending time in nature is a good way to find some peace and healing.
So much sadness, followed by so much beauty as you took your walk along the boardwalk with your animal friends.
Stressful situation for all. You did the right thing by stopping and then phoning back. It definitely leaves a sobering impression on you.
No you never know!
Oh, my goodness. Bless that woman's heart. And you too, my friend. What a blessing you were to her at that moment that changed her life.
Thanks for stopping to lend an ear and support.
My husband and I were at a meeting of an association of syrup makers. A member of the exec got up to speak, paused and just dropped. There was no defibrillator, but there was CPR and the ambulance crew and all of that, but I am pretty sure he was dead before he hit the floor.
You never know.
I remember thinking that there are a lot worse ways to go for the person who dies, but that the trauma on the family must be extreme.
Wow, what a sad post. Yes, we must live every day to the full one never knows. I am glad you have spoken to the lady since, if she has no family near she would appreciate some support Well done for helping out. Cheers Diane
That is so sad. Such a shock for you all.
No, you never know. So carpe diem, I guess. What a sobering event for you, and of course the lady and other fellow.
What a sad story. You made the right thing and now that woman has a new good friend: you!
All the best.
Such a sad story, Marie. My heart goes out to the woman whose husband died so suddenly. Thank you for stopping and doing all you could to help. My husband heard someone crying for help down the road from our house. He hurried down and found a man on the ground. He and the young man who called for help did CPR and mouth-to-mouth on him, but he, too, was dead. My husband, Barry, never forgot that experience. Another time he was present when a train hit a car and killed a man. Barry ran down the tract to see if he could save the driver, but it was too late. Barry never forgot that the man's shoes had been knocked off his feet and were on the ground. Those kinds of things stay with us always. I am glad Barry tried to help in both cases and he was, too.
My goodness - what a tragic event to be a part of! So good that you were there to visit with his wife through the difficult events. It truly does shake you up, when someone passes from this life to the next. Blessings and hugs!
What a sad story. I am sure the woman appreciated the help and comfort from you, your husband and the young man. It is true, life can change quickly.
Witnessing such a tragic event can be hard to erase from your mind. It is comforting to spend time surrounded by nature. Take care, have a great day!
Prayers for the loss of the man, those of you who stopped to help. That is quite an event to witness. I hope you two are recovering from the upset. My heart goes out to you both.
what a bad way to start your walk that day. But I am sure the woman is thankful that you stopped.
Yes it is sad and scary how fast our lives can change. It will be difficult for this woman to start over again
Take every moment you can, hold it close to your chest, and then share it with the ones you love.
As you say, you never know.
Stewart M - Melbourne
It is shocking how fragile life can be. Best to enjoy every day and, most of all, be kind.
Time is short. An intersection I pass nearly every day was the scene of a violent crime this week, with two people stabbed and in critical condition because of a third person.
Wow... your experience really reinforces that every day you are given on this Earth is a gift.
A reminder that life is incredibly fragile. We are not guaranteed we will return to our bed at the end of the day.
What an incredibly sad day for the wife.
Thanks for sharing.
Velva
Sad story with a tragic ending! Even if there is a defibrillator nearby, not everyone knows how to activate it - and time is critical.
Yes, and Nature goes on with its life, indifferent to humans.
How very sad and it was hard for you and your husband to witness I am sure. Life has no guarantees and in an instant everything can change.
It was a sad story. It was nice the way you them and helped them.
I feel sad for them.
So unexpected...
Post a Comment