Everything changed in an instant on a February morning in 2011. While resting in bed, my ten-year-old partner, my closest friend and father of three young sons, suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. He was only 41 years old, fit, energetic, and unbeatable. Only a month prior, he had completed a comprehensive physical exam, including an EKG and a stress test. No signs had pointed to what was about to happen.
I woke up to the scary sound of him struggling to breathe. I recall the Unreal sensation enveloping the mess. Is this truly occurring? How can this be possible? I was in the process of healing from back surgery, yet somehow, I succeeded in getting him to the ground and starting CPR despite my lack of training. I watched in horror as the color drained from his face, first blue, then gray, and I prayed with every ounce of my being for God to keep him with us. I begged my husband to stay, not abandon us and our boys.
I called the 911 number and carefully focused on their instructions as I was confused. My son walked in; he got frightened, so I quickly sent them back to their rooms. I can still hear their voices, Asking, “What is the matter with Daddy?” Each second felt endless, and thoughts arrived in just three minutes. When my arms started to tire from compressions, they hurried in and took control. At one moment, I shouted to the rescue workers, oh god, he just passed away. He is no more; at that moment, I realized his soul was leaving his body. A family friend employed in law enforcement showed up and took me to the hospital with sirens wailing. I sat there nervously, scared I might be told that he had died.
When I got to the hospital, he was still alive but not responding, and then I felt a bit of relief thinking that he needed some time to recover. Doctors started asking me questions about his health, medication, and diet. He consistently maintained a healthy lifestyle, eating correctly, exercising daily, avoiding cigarettes, and sometimes enjoying a beer. He took only vitamins and omega-3 supplements. I shared all the information I had with them.
They started asking about their job, and I told them about his night shift job. He usually takes one or two energy drinks. My partner was transferred to the cardiac Intensive Care Unit. The physicians began a therapeutic hypothermia protocol with the Arctic Sun, aiming to lower his body temperature to protect his brain function, then gradually increasing it over 72 hours. They claimed his heart was robust, similar to that of a 25-year-old, and could not comprehend how this occurred.
However, he remained asleep.
My husband stayed unconscious for two weeks, and I didn’t bring the kids with me because I didn’t want to see their father in this condition. Whenever kids ask about their father, I honestly reply I don’t know. He needs some time to recover.
After ten days, I was informed that he was brain dead. I need to make a hard decision. I don’t want to tell my sons at such a young age, and my son’s birthday is near. I don’t want to spoil their day over this sad news. So we tried to enjoy the day, and at Chuck E Cheese, we smiled through the sadness with our family.
On February 19, 2011, we were broken. We went to the hospital to say our last goodbye. Our sons were so sad and broken. They also went with me to say goodbye to their father with so much love. The Doctor and the staff were also unhappy because they said we usually report this kind of patient, which was incredible. He told me that many deaths are linked to energy drinks. Which made me angry and pushed me to learn how dangerous energy drinks are.
I started posting these discoveries online. Unknown people start sharing their own terrifying experiences about kidney failure, ulcers, arrhythmias, and many others. A nurse working in a cardiac unit informed me that she often sees death linked to energy drinks. Even so, they are available for sale without caution labels and are reachable to everyone, including children. More than ten years have passed. Our sons are now adolescents, and life has not become simpler. The sorrow is still fresh. Holidays, birthdays, and school occasions serve as ongoing reminders of what is lacking. A piece of me passed away alongside him that day.
However, if recounting our experience causes even a single individual to reconsider, his passing had a purpose if one life is preserved. My spouse was an organ donor. He provided existence even when dying. And now, via this tale, I wish he kept doing that.
