BBQ and Miracles

We were at a Graduation party on Sunday. The party was at G’s mother’s house on the Hudson River. We had a tent that had tables and chairs. We had a caterer serving BBQ. We had a happy grad that we are all very proud of!

The weather was great, the food was good, and everyone was talking and laughing. The teenagers put together a volleyball game in the yard. (Ummm, no….I did not play. I am not coordinated or a fan of sweating.)

After about 15 minutes of play, I see some people running (and I mean running) to the volleyball field. The Grad was running towards the tent asking for a 911 call. Someone was down.

More people went running to the volleyball field. I couldn’t see the field as a large tree was in the way. I stayed put. I would not be any help whatsoever so I stayed out of the way.

We, in the tent, were hearing stories: It is a teenager that is down. The teen is throwing up. The teen is unconscious. All I wanted to know at that moment was…..what teen is it?!?!? Is it one of ours??!?!?!

Turns out, it was not one of ours (THANK GOD), it was not even a teen.

The ambulance came, the Troopers came, the local police came, the Paramedics came and the EMT’s came. The ambulance was first to arrive and they came QUICK!

After the scene calmed down, I got the story……

Our nephew J told us as they were playing volleyball, this man (lets call him Bob for this story’s sake. Bob is not his real name) was playing also and he just fell face first into the sand (this is by the river so the yard is mostly sand). At first the teens thought he was joking around as he is a prankster. He was not responding so they turned him over and he was unconscious and throwing up. The Grad ran up to have someone call 911 and others ran down to the field. Lucky, at the party, there were 2 nurses and 2 EMT’s. The Grad’s father immediately started CPR and the caterer joined him. They switched back and forth performing CPR until the ambulance came. Bob was still unconscious. The paramedics “shocked” him twice and were able to get a faint pulse. A little while after the ambulance left, the party got a call from a family member riding with Bob in the ambulance. Bob was conscious and talking.

Bob was dead. Then he wasn’t. Bob is alive. Bob is 46 years old and has two small children.

The doctors at the hospital said that Bob was alive because of CPR. If the Grad’s father and the caterer had stopped CPR, Bob would be dead. We also found out that Bob had been caring for his children all day Saturday by himself. It is a miracle that this happened to Bob on Sunday in the presence of others AND that he is alive.

Bob’s sister-in-law stopped at the house later. Apparently, Bob doesn’t take care of himself. He doesn’t go to the doctor. Bob’s father died the same way that Bob almost did.

Here is a message for all of you who think this can’t happen to you….it can! Be smart! Go to the doctor on a regular basis. If you have a family history of medical issues, be aware! If you don’t know, find out! Don’t be a martyr because no one wins with that game. If you have a family, think about them.

Get the message?