May 20 Thursday Evening

Jolene had been taking medication for her pain and was continually vomiting. She wasn’t able to eat any food and even liquid was difficult for her to keep down. She seemed unusually agitated that night and asked me, “Why a Loving God would now take everything she loved, away from her.”  She had crossed all the T’s and dotted all the I’s and yet she could no longer do any of the things she loved. I told her when she stood before God, she would find out. Together we watched parts of the “Last Hour” about transitioning from this life on Amazon Prime about Crossing Over. She was very tired and wanted to sleep. I continued to check on her throughout the night and she would call me in often to empty the vomit dish or ask for a few pieces of ice for her parched throat. Her vomiting became more frequent and at times it was a brownish-red color.  During this time it seemed that neither of us knew whether it was day or night or what month it was.

May 21 Friday Evening

Friday Night Jolene called me into her room and asked me to lie by her side and say nothing. I lie down next to her as she squeezes my left hand and says, “Dad I just want to thank you for giving me this amazing life. I would have never believed that the life I have lived could be possible and that I would have all the amazing experiences I have had. I just want to tell you that I LOVE YOU and thank you for all you have done for me.”

Dad, says “Jolene that is what parents do for their children. They give until they are old, wrinkled, and grey. You never have to thank me for I love you as only a parent can love their child. Thank you for being my daughter and bringing me back to God. Before you were born I had one foot in Hell and you saved me from ending up with both feet in Hell.”

Jolene seems very calm and no longer agitated as she was the night before.

May 22, Saturday Evening

Jolene asks me again to lie by her side. She squeezes my left hand and tells me how much she loves me and thanks me. This time she takes my hand and lies it on the top of her thigh. Her skin feels different as if there is no life but instead having the coldness of ice. I ask her if she is afraid and she replies  “A little”  and I say “We will get through this together just as we always have.”

May 23, Sunday

I turn on the TV and begin to watch Divine Mercy Sunday Mass from Toronto, Canada, and hear Jolene say “God Give Me Strength.” As Mass is concluding Jolene calls out to me, “Dad, I know you are watching Divine Mercy Sunday Mass, as soon as it is over can you come into my room I need your help.” I pause the Mass and enter her room. She shows me more of the reddish-brown bile and asks me to go to the store and get her some Gatorade. I returned about 20 minutes later and found Jolene lying on the floor on her back.  She tells me she rolled out of bed. She asks me to change the sheets on her bed. After changing the sheets I sit down next to her and say nothing since she is asleep. God’s Divine Light slowly covers her head moving toward her chest to her heart and then retracts. I say, “God you have come to take Jolene home, thank you.”  I am calm as Jolene opens her eyes. I asked her if she would like to get back into bed. She tells me she doesn’t think she can move. I help prop her up on the side of the bed. We are both sitting on the floor and I am sitting to the left of her. As I begin to wash her back with a sponge while holding her next to me her head clicks to the right (which is the left of me) and falls into my arms. I realize she is no longer breathing. I talk to her for a few minutes telling her how much I love her. I call 911 and the EMS operator instructs me to administer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Jolene is not breathing. The EMS operator then instructs me on chest-to-chest compressions to restart her heart but that also fails. The EMS quickly arrives. They spend about an hour attempting to get a pulse. They then gently bring her to the hospital. About 2 hours later the hospital called me informing me of Jolene’s passing. I now leave the apartment and go to identify my deceased daughter.