Posted on 11/04/2001 6:42:16 AM PST by Hot Tabasco
To all you folks who have extended your hearts and prayers I wish to once again thank you for your support.
I just now got off the phone with my step-dad. By yesterday morning the inevitable came to pass. While all of Scott's body signs were functioning his brain had ceased.
Dick gave permission to the hospital to proceed with the organ donation process. I guess the team responsible for such things was amazed at how good of condition his organs were in.
They told him that it is possible that as many as 35 different individuals in medical need will benefit from this. I truly hope so as Scott would have wanted it no other way.
As for his remains, Dick wanted to proceed with cremation but due to the legalities of the accident, it now becomes a case of homicide and the coroners office has control now. There was almost a problem with allowing the surgical team to harvest the organs but I guess that was taken care of.
As for the 19 year old boy, I have no anger towards him as he will have to live with this tragedy for the remainder of his life as will his mother and father. I do not want to see him go to jail as I do not believe punishment is the answer in this situation. I wish I could have the opportunity to tell him in person that we do not hate him and only hope that this incident allows him to somehow, someway do some good for others someday in his life. Unfortunately it is out of my hands and up to our judicial system.
Dick and Bonnie are staying there in Palm Springs a couple more days and Dick's brother Ray is driving down from Montana. Together they will go back to Missoula to take care of Scott's belongings.
It is going to be tough for them for a while but all of us are forced to deal with the hand God dealt us and somehow we will get thru this a little stronger.
As for my FReeper Family, God bless all of you and thank you for being here.
Don Ruedisueli
Clinton Twp., MI
My heart and prayers are with you. Take care.
May God continue to bless your family with peace and serenity...and may God touch the heart of this 19 year old to bring him into the fold.
May you find comfort in the knowledge that our loving and gracious Father has the power to bring good from this hour of sadness, zcat.
God bless you.
Mike in Riverside County ~
As much as you are grieving, please reach out to your Dad, as it is so hard to lose one of your children, and to help make the decision that says there is no more hope. Your dad may doubt his decision in days to come, or your dad and sis might think they didn't do enough, or didn't do right by Scott--that is normal. You be there to reassure them that they did what was best and what Scott would have wanted, and that their decision will impact lives of others that we might not know in this world how far that impact goes.
God bless you and your family and hold you close.
Nautinurse, thank you for the ping on the previous thread to this one.
GFTB - I am praying that your prayer will be answered.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.