Coma Victim’s Fiance Wishes She Wasn’t So Brave.
Local resident, Jenifer Micheals looks back at 2018 with mixed emotion.
Having graduated a prestigious ivy league law school and about to accept a position with a New York law firm, while planning her wedding to her high school sweet hart, Jeff. The couple had recently had an offer for a condo accepted and Jeff’s layabout brother had finally stopped crashing on the couch and after 3 months had moved on to friends. They’d even discussed getting a dog.
“Jeff wanted to call it Adze, after a wood working tool. Jeff collects old handmade woodworking tools”
Jenifer and Jeff, a carpenter with a thriving boat building business we’re having a few days away from the hectic pace of N.Y.C. In Mystic, Connecticut. A town that was a favourite of the young lovers. They spent there day’s relaxing, walking on the beaches and nights in the restaurants and bars of the coastal town.
But then tragedy struck.
On the final day, they rented a sail boat and there lives were about to change forever.
“It was all so quick. The boom swung round and must have hit him on the head. It knocked him unconscious. At first I thought he was playing , so I pretend to ignore him and play on my phone. But he didn't move for twenty five minutes. I thought something might be wrong. I brought the boat in to shore and called an ambulance.” Jenifer tells of a day wrought with painful memories.
By the time the ambulance had arrived a crowd had gathered. “I knew it was bad, the EMT’s worked in silence. I rode with Jeff in the ambulance. I called his parents from the hospital. I didn’t leave his bedside for the first week or so”
Jeff’s mother Jeffetta, tells of the bravery of what she thought would be her daughter-in-law “Jeff’s coma has been so hard on us, as a parent you never think about this happening to your own son, and the good one at that, couldn't have happened to that lay-about brother of his. God wanted the best one for himself. So now we just have a bum as our only active child. But my heart breaks for Jen. She’s been so brave. Her dad and I are here for two days and then Jen comes in for two . It allows us all to have a little break. We don’t want to forget Jeff. But life moves on. That’s what I told Jen when we realised Jeff wouldn't be building more boats anytime soon.”
“So I took her to one side one day. About six months after the accident. I said it’s was wonderful that your here, Jen. Jeff would be touched and if he doe’s recover he will be touched. But he may never recover you don’t have to do this. Jeff would understand, we’d understand if you needed to move on”
Jen was shocked. “ I was shocked! I want to be here, I Love Jeff I want to be here.” Jen told Jeffetta. “My sister said I was so brave, lots of people have but I love Jeff so much. But sometimes I wish I’d been a little less brave.”
Sat at Jeffs bedside, Jennifer wipes away a tear. “Every time Jeff murmurs something, I think this is it. He’s going to wake up. It’s just enough to keep me going. But sometimes it hard. Being around couples or at weddings. Every now and then I see a guy who looks a little like Jeff and I wonder what could have been. The janitor at my work occasionally wares the same cologne as Jeff and when i catch the scent I imagine him tearing my clothes off and taking me right there against the window of my Seventh Ave. office or when I am out with friends and I see a young couple being affectionate and in love. I think that could be me, we could be thruple, we could be doing it any which way. But no I am stuck making my trips to the blue/beige/gray hallways of the hospital three times a week.”
“I’ve tried doing a few things with Jeff. But when the nurse walked in she told me it was wrong and illegal to do that with a coma patient.”
“I’ve tried doing a few things with Jeff. But when the nurse walked in she told me it was wrong and illegal to do that with a coma patient. But isn’t it normal for a couple to do that. If I can’t with Jeff, who can.”
“I’ve not said these things out loud before it’s good to get it off my chest, If only I wasn’t so brave”
Jen we salute your bravery.
