A sad irony

On June 13 I posted about my dealing with the family of a young man who died on vacation. He had a promising future and was about to enter his first year of med school on his way to fulfilling his dream of becoming a doctor. That's how our tourist season began for me in my role as chaplain of the Nags Head Fire and Rescue Department.

This past Sunday a retired physician, having just arrived at their vacation home on the beach 3 hours earlier with his wife, daugher, son-in-law and two grandkids suffered a crushed spinal cord from a freak accident in the surf. He was playing with his grandson. I met his wife as she arrived at the ER in the ambulance, then later that evening drove her and her daughter to meet a son coming from his home. They continued on to Norfolk, where the injured doctor had been flown.

Tonight I heard from his family that earlier today he elected to be removed from the ventilator that was sustaining his life. He died a little after 2:00. I'm very sad. They seem like a great family.

One, beginning his medical career. The other having recently retired from his. How ironic.

And this Sunday in my message on the urgency of believing I'll point out the brevity of life and the certainty of death. Double irony.