Sandi
08-03-2010, 01:41 PM
JEREMY’S DEATH
R.I.P
8/1999
On a warm August afternoon, Jeremy was excited he had a new job. Jeremy was going to be a senior this year in a local High School. Things were looking up for him. He had borrowed his mother’s car to go to work.
I was sitting in the living room and rocking our two month old daughter. I heard a knock at the door. My husband, Chuck, opened the creaky door and I heard him talking to Jeremy.
“I need a ride back down to mom’s car. Some stupid idiot ran into the back of mom’s car and I could not find the insurance card. I ran all the way up her to get it but I am really tired and need a ride back down the hill.” Jeremy’s breathing was short and you could tell he had been running.
“Sure, give me a minute to gets some pants on and I will take you down there.” Chuck said as he walked into the bedroom to get dressed.
I started to get up with the baby in my arms and went to see what the commotion was all about. Then all of a sudden I heard Donna’s voice, Jeremy’s mom, yelling. “Oh my God, Help someone please help!”
I headed toward the door and Chuck ran past me hollering, “Jeremy!” I knew then something was wrong.
Donna was still yelling and her daughter’s voice I could hear getting louder as she ran down the sidewalk. I looked out the front door and Jeremy was laying out side of the fence on the ground. Chuck was trying to get him to respond but he wasn’t. “Sandi, come and help me, he is not breathing.”
I ran out the door and down the steps. I went across the way into Donna’s house and laid the baby down in a rocker and told the dogs to watch her. I ran out the door and to where Jeremy laid. Chuck was doing compressions and told me to, “Breath”. I was so scared. I got on my knees and checked for his breath. I remembered watching a CPR class on television so I tilted his head back, held his nose and started to breath. I gave him two breaths and listened as Chuck counted. I remember how hard it was to breath into his mouth.
His body was stiff and it was hard to keep his head tilted back. I could hear voices around me, “I have called 911.” Another voice was trying to calm Donna down.
“What the hell happened?” said Jennifer, Jeremy’s sister.
“How long will it take for the ambulance to get here?” another familiar voice said.
By this time I was getting tired and it had seemed like we had been trying to save his life for hours. I tried to keep myself calm and to release some of the fear by telling Jeremy, “You better not tell anyone I kissed you.” But Jeremy could not hear what I had said.
I heard a car pull up and realized it was Nate, Jeremy’s brother-in-law. “Jeremy, Oh my God, what happened, is he dead?” his words faded as the sound of the ambulance sirens approached.
Even hearing the sirens it seemed it took them forever to get to the house. I heard car and truck doors slamming and people running up the sidewalk. “Step back please.” One of the paramedics said. I started to get up and I felt a hand on my shoulder and a man say, “Continue what you are doing. You are doing great.” So I continued to listen to the counting but it was not Chuck’s voice. I continued to breathe the two breaths into Jeremy hoping it would bring him back.
“Ok I will take over now. He has a heart beat and is now breathing on his own.” The voice of the paramedic was at ease and comforting.
I stood up and looked down at Jeremy. He was still unconscious and still had a blue tint to his looks. The paramedics took over and placed him on the stretcher. I stood there and watched everything unfold. They loaded him in the ambulance and drove away. Donna and Nate were getting ready to get into the car to go to the hospital. Jennifer handed me my daughter and said, “Buck and I are going in his truck. We will see you at the hospital.” Her voice was shaky.
The drive to the hospital was long and silent. Both Chuck and I were exhausted and scared. All I could think about was if Jeremy was still alive. Did he die in the ambulance? Would he be in a coma? My mind would not stop.
At the hospital we went into the emergency area. When we asked about Jeremy the nurse said, “Come this way. You two must have been the ones we have heard about that did the CPR before the ambulance came?”
“Yes, is Jeremy okay?” was all I could say.
“If it wasn’t for you two Jeremy would not be alive right now. He is still in critical condition and is in CICU. I will take you there.” The nurse led the way.
We walked into a room where the family was sitting. Donna was still crying and the others were comforting her. Nate and Jennifer were in the room visiting Jeremy who was still unconscious.
“What do they say happened to Jeremy?” Chuck said hesitantly.
“His heart could not take the run and excitement. They still don’t know if he will make it since his medical conditions was bad to begin with.” Buck said.
Jeremy had a heart condition since he was born. At 8 months old he had heart surgery. They had to open up his chest cavity and make it bigger since he had an over large heart. The doctors had told his family that he would probably not live past the age of 19 with this kind of condition. It was only a few months till his 19 birthday.
“Would you like to go see Jeremy?” Jennifer asked as she came into the room.
“Yes, is he awake?” I asked.
“No, but the nurse said he had squeezed her hand but she was not sure if it was voluntary or involuntary.” Jennifer said as she and Nate walked us down the hall to Jeremy’s room.
Jeremy lay in the hospital bed with all kinds of tubes and needles in his body. He was not on a respirator so that was a blessing. More of the family came in the room, Jeremy’s girlfriend and his best friend, his mom and step dad. The nurse came in and the doctor and talked about all kinds of thins I could not understand. After the doctor explained what was going on and what they were looking at, he asked us to leave the room for a bit so they could run some more tests.
All of us had gone in off and on at different times to check on Jeremy. Other family members came to visit. The hospital had to move us to another family room because there were so many of us.
Chuck and Jennifer went down stairs to get something to drink and Nate and I went to visit Jeremy again. I stood by his bed side and took his hand. Nate was on the other side and did the same. We both talked to him about all the things that we would do as soon as he got better. I knew he was not going to make it just by the looks of things. I told Jeremy that if he needed to he could let go and let all the pain leave. It was okay and how everyone loved him. Jeremy squeezed my hand. A loud voice came over the speaker; “Code Blue” was announced. I looked up at the monitor and noticed he had flat lined. I could hear bustling in the hall ways and knew they were coming to Jeremy’s room.
“Nate, we need to leave now.” I said as I walked around the bed and took Nate’s hand and we walked out of the room passing the nurses and doctors pushing a crash cart. We walked down to where the other family was waiting and Nate sat down to tell the family what was happening. I walked out to the hall way and sat down on a bench my feelings and thoughts were gone.
Chuck and Jennifer came around the corner and Chuck sat down beside me as Jennifer walked back to the family room not knowing what had happened.
“No, No, he can’t be gone. He can’t be dead. He is my only brother, my best friend!” Jennifer yelled as she came running down the hall from Jeremy’s room.
Chuck stood up and stopped her from running any father. Jennifer cried on his shoulder till Nate, her husband came and took her in his arms and they cried together. We all went back into the family room where tears were flowing. The silence was deadly.
The minister came in and said a few words and prayed with all of us. He took us to Jeremy’s room to say our good byes. His girlfriend was holding him asking him why he left. His mom and step-dad were right by her side. Jennifer and Nate stood on the other side of the bed. The rest of us gathered around behind them.
Leaving the hospital was hard, leaving a friend in the hands of the unknown. Thinking about the hardship of planning a funeral for a young man, son, brother, friend was the next step in this terrible tragedy this terrible loss.
The funeral was beautiful. Just the way Jeremy would have wanted it. The minister was in a cowboy’s jersey. There were more things in his casket then there was of him. Dr. Pepper which was his favorite drink. Notes that loved ones wrote to him. A pack of cigarettes, the kind he had started to smoke. We always did tease him about his smoking. You name it and if it was something Jeremy liked it were in there with him.
Jeremy was buried in a cemetery where other friends and loved one were who had gone before him. He will and to this day is still missed. R.I.P. Bubba
Sandi K. Hill
8-3-2010
This is a true story. A young man that did not have a selfish bone in his body and was willing to help in anyway he could. He even went to lamaze classes with me and my husband for the birth of our baby girl. R.I.P Jeremy. Was just thinking about you today.
R.I.P
8/1999
On a warm August afternoon, Jeremy was excited he had a new job. Jeremy was going to be a senior this year in a local High School. Things were looking up for him. He had borrowed his mother’s car to go to work.
I was sitting in the living room and rocking our two month old daughter. I heard a knock at the door. My husband, Chuck, opened the creaky door and I heard him talking to Jeremy.
“I need a ride back down to mom’s car. Some stupid idiot ran into the back of mom’s car and I could not find the insurance card. I ran all the way up her to get it but I am really tired and need a ride back down the hill.” Jeremy’s breathing was short and you could tell he had been running.
“Sure, give me a minute to gets some pants on and I will take you down there.” Chuck said as he walked into the bedroom to get dressed.
I started to get up with the baby in my arms and went to see what the commotion was all about. Then all of a sudden I heard Donna’s voice, Jeremy’s mom, yelling. “Oh my God, Help someone please help!”
I headed toward the door and Chuck ran past me hollering, “Jeremy!” I knew then something was wrong.
Donna was still yelling and her daughter’s voice I could hear getting louder as she ran down the sidewalk. I looked out the front door and Jeremy was laying out side of the fence on the ground. Chuck was trying to get him to respond but he wasn’t. “Sandi, come and help me, he is not breathing.”
I ran out the door and down the steps. I went across the way into Donna’s house and laid the baby down in a rocker and told the dogs to watch her. I ran out the door and to where Jeremy laid. Chuck was doing compressions and told me to, “Breath”. I was so scared. I got on my knees and checked for his breath. I remembered watching a CPR class on television so I tilted his head back, held his nose and started to breath. I gave him two breaths and listened as Chuck counted. I remember how hard it was to breath into his mouth.
His body was stiff and it was hard to keep his head tilted back. I could hear voices around me, “I have called 911.” Another voice was trying to calm Donna down.
“What the hell happened?” said Jennifer, Jeremy’s sister.
“How long will it take for the ambulance to get here?” another familiar voice said.
By this time I was getting tired and it had seemed like we had been trying to save his life for hours. I tried to keep myself calm and to release some of the fear by telling Jeremy, “You better not tell anyone I kissed you.” But Jeremy could not hear what I had said.
I heard a car pull up and realized it was Nate, Jeremy’s brother-in-law. “Jeremy, Oh my God, what happened, is he dead?” his words faded as the sound of the ambulance sirens approached.
Even hearing the sirens it seemed it took them forever to get to the house. I heard car and truck doors slamming and people running up the sidewalk. “Step back please.” One of the paramedics said. I started to get up and I felt a hand on my shoulder and a man say, “Continue what you are doing. You are doing great.” So I continued to listen to the counting but it was not Chuck’s voice. I continued to breathe the two breaths into Jeremy hoping it would bring him back.
“Ok I will take over now. He has a heart beat and is now breathing on his own.” The voice of the paramedic was at ease and comforting.
I stood up and looked down at Jeremy. He was still unconscious and still had a blue tint to his looks. The paramedics took over and placed him on the stretcher. I stood there and watched everything unfold. They loaded him in the ambulance and drove away. Donna and Nate were getting ready to get into the car to go to the hospital. Jennifer handed me my daughter and said, “Buck and I are going in his truck. We will see you at the hospital.” Her voice was shaky.
The drive to the hospital was long and silent. Both Chuck and I were exhausted and scared. All I could think about was if Jeremy was still alive. Did he die in the ambulance? Would he be in a coma? My mind would not stop.
At the hospital we went into the emergency area. When we asked about Jeremy the nurse said, “Come this way. You two must have been the ones we have heard about that did the CPR before the ambulance came?”
“Yes, is Jeremy okay?” was all I could say.
“If it wasn’t for you two Jeremy would not be alive right now. He is still in critical condition and is in CICU. I will take you there.” The nurse led the way.
We walked into a room where the family was sitting. Donna was still crying and the others were comforting her. Nate and Jennifer were in the room visiting Jeremy who was still unconscious.
“What do they say happened to Jeremy?” Chuck said hesitantly.
“His heart could not take the run and excitement. They still don’t know if he will make it since his medical conditions was bad to begin with.” Buck said.
Jeremy had a heart condition since he was born. At 8 months old he had heart surgery. They had to open up his chest cavity and make it bigger since he had an over large heart. The doctors had told his family that he would probably not live past the age of 19 with this kind of condition. It was only a few months till his 19 birthday.
“Would you like to go see Jeremy?” Jennifer asked as she came into the room.
“Yes, is he awake?” I asked.
“No, but the nurse said he had squeezed her hand but she was not sure if it was voluntary or involuntary.” Jennifer said as she and Nate walked us down the hall to Jeremy’s room.
Jeremy lay in the hospital bed with all kinds of tubes and needles in his body. He was not on a respirator so that was a blessing. More of the family came in the room, Jeremy’s girlfriend and his best friend, his mom and step dad. The nurse came in and the doctor and talked about all kinds of thins I could not understand. After the doctor explained what was going on and what they were looking at, he asked us to leave the room for a bit so they could run some more tests.
All of us had gone in off and on at different times to check on Jeremy. Other family members came to visit. The hospital had to move us to another family room because there were so many of us.
Chuck and Jennifer went down stairs to get something to drink and Nate and I went to visit Jeremy again. I stood by his bed side and took his hand. Nate was on the other side and did the same. We both talked to him about all the things that we would do as soon as he got better. I knew he was not going to make it just by the looks of things. I told Jeremy that if he needed to he could let go and let all the pain leave. It was okay and how everyone loved him. Jeremy squeezed my hand. A loud voice came over the speaker; “Code Blue” was announced. I looked up at the monitor and noticed he had flat lined. I could hear bustling in the hall ways and knew they were coming to Jeremy’s room.
“Nate, we need to leave now.” I said as I walked around the bed and took Nate’s hand and we walked out of the room passing the nurses and doctors pushing a crash cart. We walked down to where the other family was waiting and Nate sat down to tell the family what was happening. I walked out to the hall way and sat down on a bench my feelings and thoughts were gone.
Chuck and Jennifer came around the corner and Chuck sat down beside me as Jennifer walked back to the family room not knowing what had happened.
“No, No, he can’t be gone. He can’t be dead. He is my only brother, my best friend!” Jennifer yelled as she came running down the hall from Jeremy’s room.
Chuck stood up and stopped her from running any father. Jennifer cried on his shoulder till Nate, her husband came and took her in his arms and they cried together. We all went back into the family room where tears were flowing. The silence was deadly.
The minister came in and said a few words and prayed with all of us. He took us to Jeremy’s room to say our good byes. His girlfriend was holding him asking him why he left. His mom and step-dad were right by her side. Jennifer and Nate stood on the other side of the bed. The rest of us gathered around behind them.
Leaving the hospital was hard, leaving a friend in the hands of the unknown. Thinking about the hardship of planning a funeral for a young man, son, brother, friend was the next step in this terrible tragedy this terrible loss.
The funeral was beautiful. Just the way Jeremy would have wanted it. The minister was in a cowboy’s jersey. There were more things in his casket then there was of him. Dr. Pepper which was his favorite drink. Notes that loved ones wrote to him. A pack of cigarettes, the kind he had started to smoke. We always did tease him about his smoking. You name it and if it was something Jeremy liked it were in there with him.
Jeremy was buried in a cemetery where other friends and loved one were who had gone before him. He will and to this day is still missed. R.I.P. Bubba
Sandi K. Hill
8-3-2010
This is a true story. A young man that did not have a selfish bone in his body and was willing to help in anyway he could. He even went to lamaze classes with me and my husband for the birth of our baby girl. R.I.P Jeremy. Was just thinking about you today.