Young couples often imagine they have decades ahead to build their lives and grow together. However, life’s unpredictability can throw unexpected curveballs.
On a Saturday in May 2007, Ryan Finley woke up thinking it was just another ordinary day. Realizing it was time to wake his wife, Jill, he did something unusual for him on a Saturday morning.
“I went to wake Jill up, which is a miracle in itself as I never, ever, do that on Saturday mornings,” he later recalled.
He called her name, but she didn’t respond. Surprised, he shook her, but still got no response.
Growing increasingly nervous and scared, Ryan immediately called emergency services while simultaneously performing CPR on his wife.
After paramedics arrived, they swiftly transferred Jill to an ambulance and rushed her to the hospital, with Ryan following closely in his truck.
At the hospital, medical professionals assessed Jill’s condition and determined she had suffered a cardiac arrest. While Jill underwent procedures to stabilize her, Ryan anxiously waited outside the emergency room, receiving occasional updates on her condition.
When the doctor finally came out with an update, he concluded by urging Ryan to pray. Ryan realized the gravity of the situation, saying, “When a doctor tells you to start praying, you know it’s as serious as it gets.”
Soon after, the doctors informed Ryan that his wife was in a coma. He could hardly believe that his vibrant 31-year-old wife was now fighting for her life.
During the two weeks Jill remained in a coma, a steady stream of visitors came to support Ryan and see Jill. One of Jill’s cousins brought a Bible, reading to her for at least an hour. He left the Bible with Ryan, suggesting he read from it if he felt inclined.
From that day on, Ryan read passages from the Bible out loud to his wife, hoping she would wake up…
After 11 days of Jill being in a coma, Ryan went home to be alone for a while, grappling with the doctors’ suggestion to take Jill off life support. They believed there would be no improvement in her condition and advised ending life support.
Despite knowing this decision could lead to Jill’s passing, Ryan told the doctors the next day to proceed. On the 14th day of her coma, life support was withdrawn.
About five hours later, Jill began to move and mumble. Believing he was witnessing his wife’s final moments, Ryan had stepped into the waiting area, unable to watch.
He clearly recalls what happened next: “The nurse came out and said, ‘I think you need to come in, she’s talking.’”
Expecting a final conversation, Ryan went in. He recalls, “I walked in and Jill was talking. The first thing she said was, ‘Get me out of here. I want to go home.’”
Ryan was shocked but unsure whether it was just lucid muttering, so he peppered her with questions only she could answer if she was fully conscious.
He asked for their pets’ names and posed a few mental math questions, all of which she answered correctly. She even requested to go to her favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner.
Jill later said she didn’t remember the coma, only feeling as if she had been away for some time and then returned. In an interview, when Ryan was asked what he thought brought his wife back, he immediately replied, “God. Divine intervention. I honestly feel that way.”
Not everything returned to normal after Jill woke up. She had to relearn some motor skills, like brushing her teeth and tying her shoelaces, from scratch.
The couple views this experience as a second chance at life and their relationship, ensuring they are always by each other’s side. Jill believes Ryan made the right call by removing her from life support, as she wouldn’t want to spend her life as a “vegetable.”
The anxiety and fear from the entire episode still linger for Ryan. He admits, “there’s still not a night that goes by that I don’t wake up. I’ll usually kick her, and if she kicks me back, I know we’re OK.”
Sometimes life offers you a second chance in the most unexpected ways. We are thrilled that both Ryan and Jill Finley are doing well.
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