This week has been a good one. I’ve spent quite a bit of time home with my girls, playing games, skating, and what not. It’s also been a bit emotional and more than a bit tragic.
Yesterday (Thursday), Aaron (my brother-in-law) called me and said that we needed to go and see my Uncle Randy in the hospital. Apparently he was having problems breathing in the morning and asked his wife to take him to the hospital. They went in at about 5:30AM. Aaron and I got to the hospital at around noon. Randy was certainly having problems breathing. The doctors thought that he had double pneumonia. He’s had heart problems for a while now, apparently with one of the valves.
My Aunt Janene seemed especially shaken up. She’s gone through quite a bit, to say the least. Aaron and I left a blessing with Randy and we left feeling pretty concerned about him, but also pretty good. We figured that he’d just get better and come home. Apparently later on (about 10pm?), he went into cardiac arrest. I spoke with my mom this morning and she told me that he had died. I was shocked, frustrated, angry, but, most of all I think, concerned about his family and just sad. They have gone through much.
Randy was such a loving, giving person. He was always willing to help, always wanting to help. He was very active in the disabled community in Phoenix. He did a lot of speaking, singing, counseling, and consulting, trying to help people cope with their disabilities and work through them. He was successful in what he did — people really seemed to like him. But more than that, he just loved people. Through all of the struggles and issues that people go through, particularly in family situations, there was no doubt that he loved you. He loved his family dearly and would do nearly anything for them. And I think that the love was returned and the respect mutual.
Randy will be sorely missed.