In the past 3 weeks I have come close to losing both my son and my husband. I’ve written about my son’s overdose 3 weeks ago. It has been scary, heartbreaking and uncomfortable. I do not know what I would do if I had lost him.

But last night after babysitting our granddaughters, we were headed home and my husband was coughing excessively. He pulled over into a parking lot and said call 911, I can’t breathe. He jumped out of the car gulping for air while I called 911. They said the police and ambulance was on the way. 7 minutes later they still weren’t there, I called 911 a second time and was told they should be there any minute and the police pulled around the corner. He was very close to losing consciousness. One car had oxygen and started giving it to him as the ambulance pulled in. They got him on the stretcher and rushed him to the emergency room. The police gave me directions to the hospital.

I arrived at the emergency room and was immediately taken back to him. They had arrived at the scene with literally minutes to spare, I was told even another 5 minutes and the outcome could have been entirely different. My husband has COPD and we thought he was having a severe flare-up but he has pneumonia. So with a combination of both he was losing all lung capacity. He had no idea he had pneumonia, he had no symptoms. He had a cough, but he always has a cough with COPD.

I am so very thankful for the expertise of the EMT’s that arrived on the scene. The work they performed in the ambulance save his life. They are miracle workers, they gave back my husband to me. They gave us time, time to make more memories, time to watch grandchildren grow and another chance for another day.

Today he is in ICU and breathing much better. After the miracle of modern medicine, oxygen therapy, several different antibiotics, steroids, nitro paste and the constant high quality care he will be able to come home. In 10 days he will be here to walk his daughter down the aisle. What a difference one moment in time can make.

So hold your loved ones extra tight tonight and tell them you love them because tomorrow isn’t promised to any of us.

I think each of my grandchildren should have this as a reminder of the hero’s that saved their Grandfather.