Making the heart-wrenching decision to take a loved one off life support is one of the most difficult choices anyone could face, especially when the prognosis is grim.
Ryan Finley was confronted with this agonizing choice when his wife, Jill, slipped into a coma. It began when Ryan found her unresponsive, not breathing. He acted quickly, performing CPR and praying fervently as he awaited paramedics, despite understanding that her chances were slim.
Although paramedics managed to revive Jill, her heart was weak, and her breathing was labored. She was rushed to the Oklahoma Heart Hospital, where doctors placed her in a cooling suit to prevent further brain damage. However, she remained in a coma.
Ryan held onto hope, praying daily, but as weeks passed, doctors told him Jill’s chances of recovery were nearly nonexistent. Heartbroken, he was asked to consider taking her off life support.
In his diary, Ryan recorded his devastation. “Today could be the worst day of my life. I essentially have to decide whether or not she will die,” he wrote. Imagining what Jill would want, he felt she wouldn’t want to live like that, so he made the agonizing decision.
As family members gathered to say their final goodbyes, the machines were turned off. But Jill didn’t pass right away; doctors explained that her body was in a “last rally” phase.
In that moment, Jill began to murmur. To Ryan’s amazement, she spoke, telling him to get her out of there and suggesting they go to the Melting Pot or Ted’s, two of her favorite Mexican restaurants.
Source: YouTube Screenshot – Facing Life Head On
Ryan’s hope surged, and, against all odds, he believed Jill would recover. He was right. Jill began breathing on her own, later undergoing heart surgery and rehabilitation.
Reflecting on her experience, Jill shared that she had no memory of the coma but struggled with short-term memory and a few speech issues. Otherwise, she felt well and was grateful for the second chance at life.
Now, Ryan and Jill cherish every moment together, stronger than ever. “We cherish each day, each minute, each hour now,” Jill told TODAY. “Not that we didn’t before, but it puts everything in perspective.”
This incredible story reminds us of the power of hope and resilience.
Smith modeled for huge names in the fashion industry among which Guess, H&M, Heatherette and Lane Bryant.
16 years after her death, the name of Anna Nicole Smith still stands for fame and controversy. She was a model, an actress, and a television personality who first gained popularity when she won the title of 1993 Playmate of the Year after posing for Playboy magazine.
“I love the paparazzi,” she once told the Washington Post.
“They take pictures, and I just smile away. I’ve always liked the attention. I didn’t get very much growing up, and I always wanted to be, you know, noticed.”
Sadly, the life of glamour took its toll. Smith married petroleum tycoon J. Howard Marshall who was 63 years her senior. This relationship wasn’t just controversial, but a high-profile one and many believe it marked the start of Smith’s downfall. Six months after tying the knot, then 90-year-old Marshal died.
Following his passing, Smith and Marshal’s family got involved in a long and controversial legal battle over his fortune and assets. The case ultimately went as high as the US Supreme Court in 2006.
In 2007, a tragedy struck beautiful Smith died of overdose in 2007, just a few months after she gave birth to her baby daughter Dannielynn. After her death, several men claimed to be the baby’s dad and after paternity tests were ordered, Larry Birkhead got paternity rights.
Today, Dannielynn is all grown up and resembles both her mom and her dad. In fact, she got the best of both and is a real beauty.
Larry takes great care of his daughter and shares adorable photos of the fun time they spend together. They live in Kentucky and Larry makes sure his daughter’s life is as normal as possible. She attends a public school and has a lot of friends.
Speaking of her likes and dislikes and what makes her happy, Larry says Dannielynn wants to follow into her late mom’s footsteps when it comes to acting.
The girl once said, “It’s really cool to like, act as a character and not yourself. It’s like portraying a new person. It’s fun.” She and her dad have appeared on several shows such as ‘Life after Anna’, ‘Wife Swap‘, and ‘The Millionaire Matchmaker.’
Dannielynn wants to try herself as a YouTuber, but her dad thinks she’s way too young to be doing something like that. He wants her to stay out of the spotlight and enjoy her teen years the way her friends do. Speaking to US Weekly, Larry said, “If it’s something you want to do when you get older, you can, but right now let’s sell some Girl Scout cookies.”
Some years ago, an unnamed source told National Enquirer, “Anna Nicole was seduced by the showbiz lifestyle, and Larry wants to make sure Dannielynn doesn’t end up like her. “[Anna Nicole was] chasing stardom and surrounded by greedy hangers-on.”
However, Larry does his best to keep the memory of Smith alive. Last year, Dannielynn paid tribute to her mom by wearing her heat from her appearance at the Kentucky Derby in 2004 and a pink dress. The resemblance with her mom is there, although as she grows older, Dannielynn seems to be taking more after her dad.
Speaking of her character, Larry told Fox News, “She’s fun and fearless like her mom was. She’s a good kid. I’m just happy that I’ve been able to spend all the time I have been able to have with her.”
At the Barnstable Brown Gala that took place ahead of the Derby, the now-17-year-old wore a blouse with photographs of her mom. Larry wore a tie featuring the same images.
“She’s showing off her fashion sense but at the same time paying tribute to her mom,” Larry said. He added that he and his daughter had decided to pay tribute to Anna Nicole Smith because it marked the 20th anniversary of the day he had met the model back in 2003. At the time, he was a photographer covering the event.
The late model’s clothes are in Larry’s possession so Dannielynn often goes through them.
“And everything she has of her mom’s is cataloged in storage, with photos of the event where she wore it,” Larry revealed.
“So someday, she can give them to her kids if she wants to.”
We hope Dannielynn will fulfill all her dreams.
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