We have a mistaken conviction (at least in the back of our minds) that we can live forever. But occasionally life tosses us a curve ball that we don’t expect.
On a typical Sunday morning, Ryan Finley awoke, stretched, and pinched his wife, Jill Finley, to wake her up as well.
“I went to wake Jill up, which is a miracle in itself as I never, ever, do that on Saturday mornings,” he told me afterwards.
He called, but she did not answer. Ryan’s heart began to race. He knew something was wrong. He quickly dialed 911 and began CPR on his wife.
When paramedics came, they promptly transported her to the hospital, with Ryan driving behind.
After a medical examination, they determined that Jill had suffered a heart arrest.
She had a medical procedure to stabilize her, as Ryan waited nervously outside the ER.
When doctors came out to give him an update, they concluded with “pray for your wife.” Ryan understood when someone told him that it was life or de*th. “When a doctor tells you, you need to start praying, I feel it’s about as serious as it’s going to get.”
Soon after, Ryan learned that his wife was in a coma.
He struggled to accept that his 31-year-old wife, who was previously healthy, was suddenly facing a life-threatening scenario.
Jill was in a coma for two weeks and received many visitors who prayed she would wake up and be okay. But one day, Jill’s cousin arrived with a Bible in hand and spent an hour reading to her from it.
Ryan made it as a routine to read passages out loud to his wife with high hope that she’d wake up soon.
Ryan returned home after 11 days to consider whether he should wait for his de*th or remove her from life support, as doctors recommended. Doctors were confident there would be no improvement.
He knew that once they took her off life support, she passed away soon. On the 14th day, he chose to remove her from life support and let her go.
Jill began to babble and move around 5 hours after being taken from life support. Ryan was heartbroken to be present on the scene as she suffered and stepped away until she passed away.
He remembers the next events vividly: “The nurse came out and said, ‘I think you need to come in, she’s talking.'”
He expected to have the final words as she reaches the spiritual realm, but when he walked in, he was taken aback: “I walked in, and Jill was talking. First thing she said was, “Get me out of here.” “I want to go home.”
Ryan shook his head in confusion, unable to understand the scenario.
He believed she was just babbling, but then he asked her about the names of their dogs and a few mental math questions, which she answered correctly.
She even requested to go to her favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner. He realized Jill was not leaving for the spiritual world, but rather returning to him.
Ryan was asked what had brought his wife back, and he responded without hesitation: “God.” Divine intervention. “I honestly believe that.”
It wasn’t as if Jill returned to normal the following day. She had to relearn how to clean her teeth and tie her shoelaces due to a deterioration in some of her motor abilities.
But after God gave them a second chance they made sure they would ALWAYS be next to each other, especially when they need it most.
Jill also agrees with his decision to remove her from life support when she was in a coma, since she does not want to live her life as a “vegetable.”
Ryan says, “I still wake up every night. I normally kick her, and if she kicks me back, I know we’re fine.