As mentioned before, my wife and I travelled to KC on Saturday to attend the Obama rally. We drove about 3 1/2 hours to get there. I'm sorry that this is not so much a timely post, but I have not been able to get on my computer for the last few days.
We arrived around 1:00 PM, parked the Redneckmobile and got in line at the WW I Memorial. The line was already several thousand people long. We waited in line for about 2 hours, then another hour or so in the crowd. It was amazing! No friction, no short tempers, nada! And, buddy, we were packed in like sardines.
About an hour before Barack was to take the stage... my dear wife has a massive asthma attack! She drops unconcious to the ground. I am unable to even pick her up because of my disability. A young black man we had been chatting with immediately picks her up and literally runs out of the crowd carrying her. On the way, a young white man joins the procession... they both run for the edge of the crowd and yell for the EMS personnel on site. The white man, Alex, happens to be an Iraq Veteran... not just any Veteran, but a combat medic... he immediately starts first aid with an inhaler my wife carries in her purse. It seemed like hours before EMS got there. My wife stopped breathing altogether, Alex immediately picked her up and started running for the ambulance about 200 feet away. Dumping her in the ambulance, the Medical team, along with Alex immediately start trying to force Oxygen into her and administering CPR. As soon as she was reasonably stabilized, it was off to Truman Medical Center in KC, just a few blocks away. Arriving there, they immediately intubated her and put her on a respirator. She spent two days on the respirator, coming off yesterday. She is very weak but is expected to recover.
It has been said that miracles are a 'string of cooincidences.' This episode was a miracle under that definition.
Cooincidence 1. Kinard, the young black man's name is a Navy Vet, training to react rather than stand around. God Bless him!
Cooincidence 2. Alex was veteran combat medic... trained extensively in medical emergencies like this. He has even trained the Secret Service in emergency medical procedures.
Cooincidence 3. Truman Medical Center is one of the best trauma centers in the country. Located in inner city Kansas City, it routinely sees gunshot wounds and various other serious traumatic injuries. The staff is one of the most dedicated and highly trained in the Midwest, if not the country.
All of these events combined to ensure that my wife survived. Five minutes of delay in the above chain of events would have killed her. My gratitude to these two men is without measure. I know that without the cool and quick action on both their parts, she would not have made it.
I have been able to contact Alex, the medic, but Kinard remains in the shadows. Because of the confusion, I failed to get his last name. He was there with his family and as soon as he saw that my wife was being cared for, he returned to his family in the crowd. I have tried to interest the TV news in this story to help me find him... they have not expressed any interest. 'If it bleeds, it leads.' Otherwise, piss off. Good news don't sell. Palin rallies the kooks and bigots... it makes news. Have a good thing come out of the Obama Rally... nothing.
Headline: "Crowd Peaceful... Total Strangers Saves Woman's Life" Too positive... forget about it.
If any of you Kossacks in the KC area may know a black man in his early to mid thirties, married with two sons, one about eight and the other about 12. He's about 6'2, 200 lbs +/-. Short haircut. His first name is Kinard. Hopefully, since the name is somewhat unusual, someone may know him.
My wife is doing fine... just disappointed that we missed Barack.
Update: Wow! You folks are fantastic! Thanks to you, I have several good leads to run down this morning. They did take our personal info at the rally and I have a contact in the Independence Mo Dem HQ. My wife is awake and alert. She is still very weak, of course. Time will tell if she has any lasting effects from this.
A side note here... she has no health insurance. Maybe they don't want to put my outspoken, redneck ass on the TV. However, the Video media only uses 15-30 second sound bites.
Thanks again... and vote early!
Update 3: Wife is getting better! I walked into her ICU room this AM and she started bitching at me! Nothing serious, but I was encouraged. The Indepence MO Dem Office sent flowers in an Obama-Biden vase. They were lovely! Some D/H or D/Hette emailed the hospital complaining about it and the staff was forced to put a sheet of paper around the vase. First Amendment, anyone?
She may come out of ICU later today and go to a regular room. Thanks again for all the best wishes and prayers. They worked! They have a computer in the room and I logged on and showed her the comments. She was stunned and started crying! Thank you all so much! GObama!
Update 4: Mrs. Arkieboy is doing fine... I expect about two more days and she will go home.
I wanted to thank all of you for your wonderful comments, encouragement and prayers. This illustrates that when people have a common purpose... their other commonalities are strengthened.
My interactions with the staff of the hospital and the people passing through the facility have demonstrated very clearly to me that Barack Obama has a unique ability to unify people to a common purpose. Wearing an Obama pin in this inner city hospital draws far more smiles and 'Hellos' than hard looks. Everywhere I go in this rough and tough inner city, wearing an Obama pin immediately breaks down barriers that have been in place for generations. In the check out at the Wal-Mart, at the BBQ Rib place I went for supper tonight, just walking down the street opens up opportunities for pleasant interaction. Not suspicion and distrust, but the courtesy and friendliness generated by a common purpose and shared hopes.
Final Update: Mrs. Arkieboy released to return home today. We will be staying overnightin KC and returning to Arkansas on Friday. Thanks again for all the kind words of encouragement. Mrs. Arkieboy has been deeply touched by all of you Kossacks. I feel that the sense of connection generated by our common purpose can be a tremendous force for good, not only of our online community, but in our local communities. Let us all pray that we never lose this unity.
Thanks again and God bless all of you!