The Car

This is Mom's 2004 Ford Focus. I met one of the rescuers a few days ago (Butler is a small city where my brother knows all kinds of people.) He said she was unconscious, and they knew she needed to get out of the car soon. They strapped a back board to her and pulled her out of the passenger's side. She was taken by ambulance to a landing site down the road (at the catholic church I attend) and flew her to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, one of the first LifeFlight hospitals and a level 1 trauma center.

The hospital called me, in Texas, that night. The accident happened between 5 and 7 pm. They called at 10pm Eastern. Normally, I don't answer the house phone; I let the answering machine get it. But, this late in the evening, most calls are from friends. The caller ID read "Allegheny General." Curious, I answered it. And my world changed.

I wondered why my mother was in Pittsburgh. Only later did I realize the truth: she was in serious condition-- she needed a trauma unit to save her. Luck for us, AGH is just such a place.

I thanked the rescuer and told him to tell the others that my mother is recovering. I told him they saved her life by their actions.

And why did the hospital social worker call me, looking for a relative? Because my mother had my name and address in her wallet. No one looks at your cell phone. Why? Many are locked. All phones are different. My name and address, saved from an envelope and tucked in behind her driver's licence, is why they called me.

Just a message to anyone. Talk to your family about your wishes (feeding tubes, funeral, finances) and get the following done: power of attorney, second or third person on the checking account, a will, advanced directives (living will), pre-planned funeral. You don't just need them if someone dies. You need them if the person is unable to make decisions. We couldn't get my mom's purse, where her insurance info was, without a power of attorney. We didn't get one done until she was well enough to know what she was doing. That said, she remembers nothing in the hospital; her earliest memory is of arriving at the nursing home.

Say "I love you" to your loved ones every time. :)