My Grandpa's death
I just sent this e-mail out to everyone. Though some of you ljers might be interested...
Hello everyone. Chloe here writing for the whole Maddux family. I know my Dad would like to be writing this important letter, but you will understand why he is unable to do that when I explain things.
This is news about my Grandpa Norman Maddux who was a missionary in Brazil for 35 years and who came back to the States January of 2004 due to his cancer. I ask pardon in advance for going into so much detail. Please skip over whatever is too much, and also, please overlook my messiness.
This last weekend my Grandpa and Grandma went down to Joplin because my Grandpa Norman wanted to speak at a church about the churches he’s planted in Brazil. None of us thought he should go because he’d been getting weaker and more anemic as the weeks went by, but he was set on going. On Saturday night his heart was racing and he was having trouble breathing, so Grandma and some of the other Madduxes who were there took him into the ER. I’m not real keen on all the medical details, but I believe that he was very low on blood and that he was fibrilating (again, I don’t even know what that means-that’s just what everyone was telling me). The doctors pumped 2 pints of blood into him, and I guess he was pretty “perky” after that. Everyone was thinking that things were turning for the good.
Grandma wanted to have him moved up here to the Lawrence hospital, which is near their home, so they decided to take the risk and drive him up here on Monday. On their way home they stopped by to pick me up so that I could take care of Grandpa Tuesday while Grandma and Angela (my aunt) would be gone. He was not doing well in the car. His words were very slurred, he was talking nonsense, he was so tired, what little color the doctors had gotten back into his face was now gone, and his breathing sounded very loud and labored. When we got to their home in Lawrence he was doing really bad, so Grandma badly wanted to take him into ER, but he did not want to go. He seemed to be getting worse through the night, so at 5 on Tuesday morning Grandma, 2 of my uncles and my great uncle took him into ER.
Through the day he was getting no better, so my family drove over in the afternoon, and we were all with Grandpa in the hospital until late at night. He didn’t talk much, but when he did speak, it was in slurred, half-words. He asked us to sing some songs to him, so we all sang many hymns, and would could tell through the sounds he was making that he was trying to sing also. It was a very emotional time for all of us. It was so strange to see him laying like a helpless little child in the bed, when just a week ago he had been happy and joking and basically his normal self.
My Dad and Grandma spent the night in the hospital with him. This morning at about 6, Dad called and said that we’d better get to the hospital right away, as Grandpa probably only had a few more hours to live. We all went to the hospital, and saw that Dad was probably right. He looked unconscious, but when my Aunt Angela talked to him, he turned his head toward her (they were very close) and when we sang hymns, he made loud noises, trying to sing along. I know that Grandpa could hear. Grandpa’s breathing was getting slower and slower, and at 8:30 a. m. he died, and went to his Savior.
Since then, there have been many tears, phone calls, memories, and even laughter. A lot of the family has already arrived for the funeral. We just drove to our house (which is where I’m writing this e-mail from) to pack for the few days that we will be spending in Lawrence, then we’re driving right back to be with the family. Right now Dad is with Grandma trying to get the funeral planned. The funeral is set for Friday at 11 a.m., and the burial will be at about 3 p.m.
This has all happened so quickly. We see God’s mercy in this because Grandpa did not have to suffer much like many people with cancer have. We also thank God that Grandpa lived longer then the doctors predicted (they said he had until September of ’04).
Much love to you all. Again, I apologize for going into so much detail. It’s hard to know what to say and leave out, and everything is still pretty chaotic. But the Lord is giving us peace, and our hearts rejoice that Grandpa Norman is now celebrating in Heaven.
Love,
The Maddux Family
Hello everyone. Chloe here writing for the whole Maddux family. I know my Dad would like to be writing this important letter, but you will understand why he is unable to do that when I explain things.
This is news about my Grandpa Norman Maddux who was a missionary in Brazil for 35 years and who came back to the States January of 2004 due to his cancer. I ask pardon in advance for going into so much detail. Please skip over whatever is too much, and also, please overlook my messiness.
This last weekend my Grandpa and Grandma went down to Joplin because my Grandpa Norman wanted to speak at a church about the churches he’s planted in Brazil. None of us thought he should go because he’d been getting weaker and more anemic as the weeks went by, but he was set on going. On Saturday night his heart was racing and he was having trouble breathing, so Grandma and some of the other Madduxes who were there took him into the ER. I’m not real keen on all the medical details, but I believe that he was very low on blood and that he was fibrilating (again, I don’t even know what that means-that’s just what everyone was telling me). The doctors pumped 2 pints of blood into him, and I guess he was pretty “perky” after that. Everyone was thinking that things were turning for the good.
Grandma wanted to have him moved up here to the Lawrence hospital, which is near their home, so they decided to take the risk and drive him up here on Monday. On their way home they stopped by to pick me up so that I could take care of Grandpa Tuesday while Grandma and Angela (my aunt) would be gone. He was not doing well in the car. His words were very slurred, he was talking nonsense, he was so tired, what little color the doctors had gotten back into his face was now gone, and his breathing sounded very loud and labored. When we got to their home in Lawrence he was doing really bad, so Grandma badly wanted to take him into ER, but he did not want to go. He seemed to be getting worse through the night, so at 5 on Tuesday morning Grandma, 2 of my uncles and my great uncle took him into ER.
Through the day he was getting no better, so my family drove over in the afternoon, and we were all with Grandpa in the hospital until late at night. He didn’t talk much, but when he did speak, it was in slurred, half-words. He asked us to sing some songs to him, so we all sang many hymns, and would could tell through the sounds he was making that he was trying to sing also. It was a very emotional time for all of us. It was so strange to see him laying like a helpless little child in the bed, when just a week ago he had been happy and joking and basically his normal self.
My Dad and Grandma spent the night in the hospital with him. This morning at about 6, Dad called and said that we’d better get to the hospital right away, as Grandpa probably only had a few more hours to live. We all went to the hospital, and saw that Dad was probably right. He looked unconscious, but when my Aunt Angela talked to him, he turned his head toward her (they were very close) and when we sang hymns, he made loud noises, trying to sing along. I know that Grandpa could hear. Grandpa’s breathing was getting slower and slower, and at 8:30 a. m. he died, and went to his Savior.
Since then, there have been many tears, phone calls, memories, and even laughter. A lot of the family has already arrived for the funeral. We just drove to our house (which is where I’m writing this e-mail from) to pack for the few days that we will be spending in Lawrence, then we’re driving right back to be with the family. Right now Dad is with Grandma trying to get the funeral planned. The funeral is set for Friday at 11 a.m., and the burial will be at about 3 p.m.
This has all happened so quickly. We see God’s mercy in this because Grandpa did not have to suffer much like many people with cancer have. We also thank God that Grandpa lived longer then the doctors predicted (they said he had until September of ’04).
Much love to you all. Again, I apologize for going into so much detail. It’s hard to know what to say and leave out, and everything is still pretty chaotic. But the Lord is giving us peace, and our hearts rejoice that Grandpa Norman is now celebrating in Heaven.
Love,
The Maddux Family