Yvonne Sullivan, 28, lost consciousness suffering from severe blood poisoning moments after being told that baby Clinton had died. Despite grieving for their lost son, her husband Dominic, 37, kept a round-the-clock vigil at her bedside for two weeks as she lay in intensive care.
But when doctors told him they could have to switch off her life support machine, Mr Sullivan took drastic action–by giving his wife a firm telling-off. He held his wife’s hand and demanded: "You start fighting. Don’t you dare give up on me now. I’ve had enough, stop mucking around and start breathing. Come back to me."
Two hours later she started to breathe steadily again.
…She even remembers hearing her husband yelling at her as she lay in a coma and says it gave her the strength to pull through.
She said: "I can’t remember exactly what he said but I never liked getting told off by Dom. Something inside me just clicked and I began to fight again. When I came round I thought he’d been gone a few minutes, then he told me I’d been out for two weeks. It’s a miracle. I owe him so much."
Via Secondhand Smoke.
7 comments
What a great story…
Pst, Mr. Miller, you linked to your google page, not the story:
http://www.wesleyjsmith.com/blog/2008/02/close-call-husband-wakes-wife-up-after.html
Great story. Reminds me of an elderly couple I once lived with and cared for. Jenny was the recipient of the “Lazarus Award” for having been re-called from death the most times in one year. Clifford, her husband, was by her side when my efforts to bring her back failed one day. The paramedics arrived and proclaimed her officially dead. Clifford was so upset that he did what annoyed his wife the most–he began to move his false teeth in and out of his mouth at a furious pace. To the surprise of all, Jenny suddenly sat up from death and commanded “Clifford, quit clacking your teeth!”
For all I know, Jenny is alive today. But I can testify that Clifford enjoyed permission to “clack his teeth” for many years before he went Home. 🙂
What a great story, Joanne!
I feel sure they must be two of God’s favorite characters, Lynn. Makes you think, though, about our definition of death. Maybe all married persons should have their spouses voices on tape, (and parents, their kids) just in case they can’t be there in the event of apparent death? To give the “Wake up!” call?
Sounds good to me, Joanne!
In his biography of Mother Angelica, Ray Arroyo describes a time when Mother was comatose, and hooked up to machines. A certain bishop went to visit her, and as soon as he greeted her, the machines went beserk!