An Act Of Kindness That A Rochester DJ Will Always Remember

Two years ago, just a few weeks after I started as the mid-morning DJ on Y-105FM, my husband was rushed to the ER at Olmsted Medical Center.   I knew something was majorly wrong when the Doctor in the ER asked, "Do you know how long your fingernails have been blue?". 

I originally thought I would be taking my husband in for a quick ER visit.  A few x-rays of his lungs, some meds and I would still make it to work on time.  Little did I know that this would be the start to some very long days and a Christmas we would never forget.

My husband ended up having pneumonia and fluid around his lungs. I learned a few hours after the blue fingernail conversation all of the fancy medical names for his diagnosis and watched him struggle to just breathe.  His oxygen levels would plummet and all sorts of alarms would go off any time he tried to move or talk.

It was December.  Just a few weeks before Christmas and none of this hospital stuff was in our plans...at all. 

That quick trip to the ER ended up turning into not just one hospital stay but the news that my husband would need to be transferred to a larger hospital.

A procedure to remove the fluid around his lungs needed to happen immediately and it was a waiting game to see if Mayo Clinic in Rochester would be the next stay or a different hospital in the midwest.  My fingers were crossed and prayers sent that we could stay right here in Rochester.

I needed Mayo Clinic to be the one to call back and say, "Yes, we have room so go ahead and transfer him here".  Rochester is where we live. I honestly didn't know how I would juggle the brand new job, three kids in school, all of the holiday concerts that were happening and after school events if I also needed to be in another state.  Christmas was also just days away and I had no idea what that would even mean for us this year.

Our life for about 2 more weeks was a life of chaos.  More pockets of fluid would build which meant more chest tubes and CT scans.  We joked that after so many, we should really just get one free.  I felt like I should have received a free parking space too but after a bit, I just held my credit card out each time I had to pay and thought, "there is one more gift we won't be giving the kids this year."  The last time I handed my credit card over for parking was Christmas Eve, when my husband finally was able to go home.

During those weeks of chaos, a family mailed a gift card to my house for a restaurant.  This was an amazing gift in a time when I had zero time to cook for my kids, or even buy groceries.  To be honest, we were in survival mode and just did the best that we could each day.  That envelope with the gift card inside was an amazing gift and came at just the right moment.

Families are in this exact situation every single day in our town. They are here in Rochester, with their loved ones, because they need help. They are here to get the best treatment and the floors at Mayo Clinic are filled with people visiting...even during the holidays.

Pasquale's Neighborhood Pizzeria, a local restaurant in Rochester, wants to make the gift of a home-cooked meal happen for families this holiday season that are getting medical treatment in Rochester.  They've even teamed up with other local community leaders and the team here at Y-105FM to help make this holiday season feel a bit more like home.

But, they need to know who to bring the meal to...and that is where you come in.

👉They Need You!

• If you are working with patients, please tell them to watch and let us know if this would help them.
• If you work or volunteer in one of the many homes that help provide individuals with a place to stay while they are here, stick this story in your newsletter or put a note up so everyone can see this...or if you can, let us know who this meal could be for.
• Maybe you have a connection with a church that houses families that are here getting medical treatment, this would be a great way to continue that care for them.
• Share the video AND this story!

👉How to nominate a family...it's easy! Just watch the video that Pasquale's Neighborhood Pizzeria has on their Facebook page and nominate a family in the comments or send them a private message with your nomination.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=782020732238269

Listen to Jessica Williams weekdays from 9 am until 12 pm on Y105FM!
Jessica plays Country’s Greatest Hits weekdays from 12 pm - 6 pm on 103.1 KFIL!