Death in Idaho

So this last weekend Daniel, Kailyn and I flew to Idaho with his family to go to his cousin's wedding reception. It was really nice to spend time with his extended family and Kailyn did EXCELLENT on the plane both ways. It was a great trip overall.

When it was time to go home Sunday night we got to the airport in Idaho Falls pretty early and had to wait for all the passengers to unload from our plane. While we were waiting my sister in law Michelle and I noticed and old man sitting about 20 feet away from where we were standing. He was hung over to one side and supporting himself on the armrest. His eyes were halfway shut and his mouth was open with the weight of his jaw pulling it sideways. Michelle and I starting joking around about how silly he looked. Then my sister in law Shae saw him and, being a more concerned kind of person, asked if he was ok. I told her not to worry about him. I had seen him take a deep, gasping breath that could be mistaken for a snore. I wasn't really worried, but keep an eye on him just the same. Then Michelle told Bill, my father in law, about him and asked for his opinion. He looked and him and was more concerned. He asked how long he had been sitting there like that, had we seen him breath, was he alone. I told him I had seen him breath and that I could see a purse next to him so I assumed he had a wife somewhere.

A minute later an older woman walked up to him. We all were relieved that someone else could check to see if he was ok, but we were also worried about whether he would respond. We all watched anxiously. Shae said, "If he's dead I'm going to cry." The woman approached her husband and gave him a little tap with out a response. Then she gave him a little shove and said, "Bob?" Nothing. No movement. She gasped and we all gasped with her. My heart sank into my stomach. She went to the closest desk and told her to call 9-1-1. At this point Bill asked how he could help. He sat next to Bob and made sure his airway was clear by supporting his head. He took one of those gasping breaths about every minute for about 3 minutes. Then he stopped. No one was close enough to tell if he was breathing or not except for Bill. The ambulance arrived shortly thereafter and Bill helped the paramedics lower him to the ground. They cut open his shirt and the paramedic began pushing hard on his chest over and over.

At this point everyone was watching. The man was obviously not going to make it. Even if he was still alive he wasn't going to hold on. I just kept praying that his wife and family would have the comfort they needed.

Then the paramedic stopped and I knew it was because his heart had stopped beating. They grabbed their defibrillator and strapped it on his chest. Then the overhead announcement indicated that Daniel and I could board the plane since we were "family passengers". Bill wanted to stay with the woman until he was pronounced dead. He sent us with the luggage and went back to assist. As we walked away we said quietly to each other, "He's gone."

We didn't really talk about it on the plane. I told him how badly I felt for the woman who lost her husband in the airport. I kept thinking about where they were flying to. Did they come to Idaho to see their kids and family? Was he able to see them one last time? Or the sadder thought that they were just about to fly out to see their family. And the worst thought of all: How sad it was that this woman lost her husband just days before Christmas. Daniel and I held hands, kissed, and cuddled the whole way home.

I know this is a bit eerie and depressing for my first post but I felt like it was important for us to remember how close we could be to leaving our loved ones. It may not be tomorrow or in ten years. It may be when we're old and have lived a great life. But appreciate your family and friends. Especially for the holidays. I love you all! Have a great Christmas!