Ted's Story! ( A Very Important Message For Young And Old )

Title

Some of this story is very graphic, but sometimes life is very graphic.
I would like to tell you a story, it is a story that could have had a different ending, but sometimes in life we are not sure which road to take and sometimes we take the wrong one. �The worst part about our taking the wrong path in this story is because of what was done, and how it was done, a wonderful young man, called Ted, was taken from our lives and our love much before his time on the earth was ended.

On October 31, 1986 Ted was in a car accident, and as a result of this accident suffered very severe and extensive�head injuries. �He was taken by helicopter to the trauma center of Pensacola in Florida and there they tried to save his life. �We received a call from the hospital telling us that�Ted had been injured and as the hospital was about 45 miles from where we all lived �we should have gotten there rather quickly. � We were called to the hospital to sign papers authorizing the surgery to stop the swelling of the brain which had occurred with the accident.�� He was hurt at about 5:00 PM but the family did not arrive at the hospital until midnight.

Now why did it take us 7 hours to get to a place that was at most an hour away. �Well, I guess when we got the phone call panic hit and we ran around in circles, each running into the other, and going nowhere. We are a very close family and felt that we all wanted to go to the hospital together and so the delay came when everyone could not decide "what to bring" who needed babysitters, who was going to travel with who, and when we started for the hospital �we had to make numerous stops on the way because of each one who had to bring one more thing. �So an hour trip became a 7 hour excursion . � �I believe that a lot of this delay was because subconsciously we didn't want to believe how seriously he was injured and we knew that once we arrived at the hospital, we would have to face the facts and deal with them. The doctors were waiting for us to get there and they were ready to do the surgery to relieve this pressure and may have been able to change what became a tragic ending. �Had we just gotten into the car and went to the hospital and signed the papers that had to be signed immediately the following events would never have happened.

When we finally did get to the hospital Teds brain had become so swollen that he was totally unrecognizable and his entire head had turned black. �This is caused by the brain swelling inside of a small confined space, and part of his brain had started to force its way out of one of his ears causing more pressure on the brain stem. �Ted slipped into a coma after the surgery was done, and was in what is called a semi-coma and it looked as though he was trying to wake himself up. �The doctors decided that since he was trying to wake up they really needed to do more surgery before he did wake up and remove that part of the brain that was forcing its way out of his ear and repair �the damage that had occurred there so that the brain could start healing itself. � But what happened then was he was not strong enough to survive the second surgery and he had a stroke shortly afterwards and it ultimately took his life.

Ted and Family

Now why have I told you this story with all of the details. �I have decided to do this for two reasons, one I do not wish Teds leaving us to be for nothing, or in vain. �I know no life is ever in vain for we learn something from everyone we meet, but if Teds death can change what happens to even one other person, that will be a very good thing. It will also make it easier for my family to accept our loss knowing we have tried to use this tragedy to help keep others from having to endure the pain we have. �What I am trying to say here is if someone you love is in an accident, or needs to receive medical treatment, or you are called to a hospital, do not delay with foolish delays get to the hospital immediately, for it is the foolish delays that made Teds loss all the more useless. �It did not have to happen, but it did. �Panic set in on us when we received the phone call,�we all ran around in a circle and we had no plan, no idea of what to do, and realized only too late that those precious minutes became hours and the hours became the loss of Ted.

I implore all who read these words, don't think it cannot happen to you, for not only can it happen, it happens much too often. �You can have a plan made up where in the event of such an emergency you know what it is you must do, and how to do it. Each person is responsible for one thing and one thing only, and don't worry about what you bring or you don't bring, if you forget something you can get it the next day, and if children are a part of your life, have babysitting arrangements set up before an accident occurs, or for any emergency purpose and follow through with it, �you would be amazed at what a little planning can do, and you will find that the minutes will not become hours for you and yours. One thing you might consider is picking one or two representatives in your family for emergencies like this to go immediately to the hospital with your loved one to handle all the details until the rest of the family can arrive.

I will be adding suggestion's from professional's in various fields, to help you insure that your loved one's receive the best and most prompt treatment possible in an emergency such as this, as I receive them. If you have a suggestion that you think will help someone in this type of situation, or some links where people could go for information, please e-mail Sandra Arnold, so that I can include it here and perhaps together we can save a life. I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this message. If you would like to help me get this message out to the public in hopes that it might help save a life, you can use the image below to link it back to this page.

Ted's Link

Dove

Greatly do we miss you, dear...
and though we so did pray...
The Lord decided it was time...
to take you home that day...
The angels that had been there,
alongside you in your bed...
Lifted you to Heaven,
held your hand,
cradled your head...
Softly whispering in your ear
that your time had now come...
To meet the Father up above,
to join him now as one...
Floating in the clouds above,
they comforted your tears...
And told you we would be alright,
the friends that you'd left here...
They wiped the tears
from your precious face
and so gently held your hand...
calmed your fears, erased your worry,
they did truly understand...
The gates flew open to welcome you...
to those Heavens up above...
And you, embraced so tightly
by the Heavenly Father's love...
One day, we will meet again
and I will feel your warm embrace....
I will see firsthand the peace and joy
that is written on your face...
When the time comes for the angels
to carry me back home...
Please be there waiting at the gate,
so I won't feel alone...
Then at last, together...
you and I will finally be...
Joined again in Heaven...
to spend eternity.

By:Leigh of "Denim and Pearls"

Please take a moment to sign the guestbook, I will be printing it up and putting it in a book of Remembrance for the two young daughters that Ted left behind. Vickie age 17 was 6 years old, and Sharry age 11 was 10 months old when they lost their father.

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I would like to thank all of my loving sister's from LOTH, without them I don't think this page would have been possible. I love each and everyone of you so much that it fills my heart.
Walks Softly thank you so much for all your help and support in making this page.

This background set is an original by Shauna, my friend and sister, and was made especially for this page so please do not take it.

You are listening to "Go Rest High On That Mountain" by:Vince Gill. I chose this music because I really hope Ted is resting there now.
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