This Man’s Choice Altered His Wife’s Destiny

Newlyweds often dream of living happily ever after forever, but this wasn’t the case for Ryan and Jill Finley. They had gotten married in Oklahoma and hoped to enjoy their lives together. 

After spending some time together relaxing, Ryan often leaves Jill to catch more sleep in the mornings while he reads the newspapers. But this Sunday morning was different.

That Sunday morning in 2007 was a turning point in Ryan and Jill’s lives. They had been married for four years and were already familiar with each other’s habits. Since Jill always caught extra sleep in the morning, he didn’t bother to wake her on this fateful day. 

Ryan had walked into his wife’s room that morning of May 26, 2007. He wasn’t sure why; he just found himself walking toward her.  Although he had felt unusual, what happened after wasn’t what he expected. 

Afraid, Ryan tried to snap out of his shock as he stared at his wife’s lifeless body. He hurriedly jumped to his phone and punched in the emergency number. 

It took about 15 minutes for the medics to arrive, but this time seemed like forever to Ryan. When they arrived and took over, he was relieved and silently prayed for his wife’s recovery.

Reality dawned on the paramedics – Jill needed intensive medical care. So, they hurriedly lifted her to the ambulance and drove her to the Oklahoma Heart Hospital. Realizing that he couldn’t follow Jill in the vehicle, Ryan followed them in his car. 

At the hospital, Jill was stabilized in 25 minutes by the paramedics. Afterward, they rallied to develop a more stable solution. While Ryan watched the events unfold, he pondered the cause of his wife’s present condition. 

The medical team began to treat Jill’s situation more seriously. The cause of her condition was known: she had gone into cardiac arrest in her sleep, spending about five minutes without oxygen. 

The doctors warmed up Jill’s body after chilling for 24 hours and hoped she would wake during this process as other people do. Sadly, Jill remained numb, and the doctors realized little brain activity was happening. 

Ryan’s hope started to wane, but he didn’t give up on Jill. He stuck by her even though all he could do was hold her hands. Days passed, yet Jill showed no improvement. 

Although Jill’s condition hadn’t improved, Ryan wasn’t ready for the following devastating news. When asked how he felt when the news was delivered, Ryan often described the feeling as grim. 

As days passed with no improvements in Jill’s health, Ryan began to admit to fate. Every morning was a reminder that his wife was dying with little to no chance of survival. 

The doctors tried all they could, but there was no improvement. Gradually, everyone resigned to fate, including friends and family.

As the days progressed, the doctors informed him that he had to decide the next step: did he want to take her off life support? In total despair, Ryan wrote this in his diary “Today could be the worst day of my life. I have to decide whether or not Jill lives.” 

While Ryan was unsure what to do, Ryan revisited his memories with Jill. He knew they hadn’t agreed on what to do in situations like this because they had never envisaged this future. 

Ryan had already found his answer. Jill wouldn’t have wanted to live her life tied to the hospital, so he had to let her go. He decided to take her off life support and prepared to bid her goodbye. 

Jill was taken off life support on June 9th, 2007. Ryan was expectant. Would something good happen? Ryan noticed at some points, her body would shift a bit, and she would mumble, which was overwhelming for him. 

On getting to Jill’s room five hours after the life support was turned off, Ryan thought the nurse’s call was for the last rally. 

Jill went from mumbling to speaking clearly. First, Ryan heard her say, “get me out of here!” Afterward, she said, “Take me to Red’s and the Melting Pot,” her two favorite spots. 

Confused at the turn of events, Ryan began to ask Jill questions. From their dogs to their cats, phone numbers, and address, Jill could recall everything to Ryan and the doctors’ amazement. 

Ryan was beginning to get a grasp of what was going on. It wasn’t the last rally; Jill was awake and could breathe freely. 

As the days passed, Jill kept getting better, to everyone’s surprise. It seemed as if nothing ever happened. 

Jill wasn’t disappointed when Ryan told him he had cut her off life support. To her, he made the right decision. “I would not want to leave like that. So, he did the right thing.” She said. 

The doctors discovered that a congenital condition caused her heart to stop during her sleep on that fateful Sunday morning. But they were still confused about what triggered her recovery. 

Jill’s recovery was a fresh start for the couple. Her family was grateful for her recovery, but she still had a long way to go to be herself again. 

Ryan was excited to have his wife back. It was almost unbelievable for him. They stuck with each other and lived more happily than before. 

Although Jill underwent medical training to recover her speech and memory, she was grateful to God for feeling normal. 

Ryan and Jill might have been through the worst experiences of their lives, but they wouldn’t change a thing if they were to go through a similar event again. “I think it’s only human nature. But honestly, I wouldn’t change anything,”  Ryan said. 

Ryan made sure to do everything Jill wanted after she came out of the coma. He was thrilled to have her back and remained concerned for her safety.