Could a Wedding Save Your Life?

Posted on Jun 14, 2018 Topic : Inspirational/Devotional, Men's Christian Living, Women's Christian Living
Posted by : Andrea Jo Rodgers

“Honey, I feel lousy,” J.J. Fisher said to Cherice, his wife of 50 years.

“Do you think you’ll be all right to go to Tiana’s wedding?” Cherice asked.

“Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” J.J. responded emphatically.

J.J. lay down, closed his eyes, and drifted off into a restless sleep for the next two hours.

“J.J., I tried to let you rest for as long as possible,” Cherice said. “But it’s time to get up and get ready for the wedding if you still want to go.”

“I’m going to stay home and rest. You go ahead without me.”

Cherice and J.J.’s daughter, Jasmine, immediately grew alarmed. “Now, Dad,” Jasmine said, “I’ll make you a deal. Come with us. If you feel at any point that it’s too much, I promise to drive you home.”

“Okay, okay. Just give me a few minutes to get dressed.”

After the wedding, Jasmine drove her parents to the reception. “Are you feeling any better, Dad?”

“Well, I truly wish I could say I was feeling better, but I just don’t feel right.”

“Do you want to go to the hospital? Should we call for an ambulance?” Cherice asked.

“No, no. It hasn’t gotten to that point yet,” he answered.

“Do you promise to tell us if it does get to that point?”

“Yes, I promise,” he said, trying his best to muster up a smile.

After the salad was served, the band began playing a slow number. Normally, J.J. jumped at the chance to dance with his wife. But today his body was simply not up to it. He felt beads of cold sweat erupt on his forehead, and he started getting a tight feeling in his chest. He turned and tapped his wife on the forearm. “Honey, do you remember when I promised I would tell you if I need an ambulance?” he asked.

“Yes,” Cherice replied with alarm. “J.J., what’s wrong?”

“Call 911,” he replied, before slumping forward in his chair and surrendering to a world of darkness.

Gary Meyers and I piled into the back of the ambulance. “Andrea, grab the defibrillator in case we need it,” Gary suggested to me as we pulled up at the scene.

“Our patient is a seventy-one-year-old named J.J. Fisher,” he explained. “Family reports that he hasn’t been feeling well all day. He collapsed a few minutes ago.”

I attached the defibrillator electrodes to Mr. Fisher, placing one pad on his upper right chest just below his clavicle, and the other pad on his lower left ribcage.

Jasmine looked terrified. “Oh, Mom, what are we going to do?”

“Pray,” I heard Mrs. Fisher whisper to her daughter. “We’re going to pray.”

“Everyone clear,” I directed, waving my arm over Mr. Fisher’s body to make sure that no one touched the patient lest they also be inadvertently shocked by the defibrillator. Holding my breath, I carefully pressed the analyze button.

“Shock advised,” the machine said.

“J.J. didn’t feel well today,” Mrs. Fisher said. “In fact, he wasn’t going to attend the wedding. He wanted to stay home and sleep, but Jasmine and I talked him into coming with us.”

If Mr. Fisher had been alone at home, his family may have come home from the wedding to discover that J.J. had passed away in his bed. It was truly a blessing that he was in the right place at the right time. Through the power of prayer, combined with early defibrillation and CPR, Mr. Fisher would be able to enjoy many more years with his family.

A wedding gift to remember!