Early morning hours of March 17th

Around 4:15 am, Clayton emerged from the bathroom.  He had needed help and was calling for it.  Dad saw that he was short of breathe and got Mom.  After getting dressed, they rushed to Grandview Hospital.  Clayton hurried to the car and waited for Mom to come drive.  While in the car, he lost consciousness due to his difficulty breathing.  Pink foam started to come from his mouth. Dad stayed behind to call 911 and have them ready for their arrival at the hospital.  Unfortunately, those moments have been analyzed, scrutinized and relived many times in thinking of what might have been done better by all three.  Prayers and time have helped to ease the burden of guilt for all.  Sometimes, it would be nice if we had a crystal ball and knew what would happen to prevent it.  

Clayton was quickly rushed into the hospital.  They were able to revive him but it took at least 7 minutes.  Added that to the unknown amount of time that he was unconscious and he had lost oxygen to his brain for 10 to 15 minutes.  Not a good sign for a full recovery.  Mom called Mandy at 6am.  Ironically, she had stayed up all night to get work done.  She felt compelled to complete several projects and wasn't sure why they had to be done before the next day.  When the phone rang, she knew why she stayed up all night.  She made arrangements for childcare and missing work then headed for Grandview.

When she arrived, her parents were meeting with the doctors. As the world started, its usual activities, she received several calls from family.  She broke the grim news and family members came to the hospital, one by one.  Aunt Connie was one of the first.  Always a blessing with her nursing skills and connections within the medical community, she gave much comfort to a family that was fearing the worst.