Young newlyweds often imagine decades together, but life can change in an instant. One Saturday in May 2007, Ryan Finley woke up and went to wake his wife, Jill\u2014something he rarely did on weekends. When she didn\u2019t respond, even after he shook her, he panicked and called emergency services while performing CPR.<\/p>\n
Paramedics rushed Jill to the hospital, where doctors determined she had gone into cardiac arrest. As Ryan waited anxiously, a doctor told him to pray\u2014an indication of how grave her condition was. Soon after, Jill slipped into a coma.<\/p>\n
For two weeks, family and friends visited. One cousin read from the Bible, and Ryan continued reading passages to her every day. After nearly two weeks with no improvement, doctors advised ending life support. Heartbroken, Ryan agreed.<\/p>\n
But about five hours after her life support was removed, Jill began to move and mumble. A nurse told Ryan to come in\u2014Jill was talking. Her first words were, \u201cGet me out of here. I want to go home.\u201d She correctly answered all of Ryan\u2019s questions and even asked for her favorite Mexican food.<\/p>\n
Jill remembered nothing of the coma, only that she felt she had been \u201caway.\u201d Ryan believed her recovery was a miracle. Though she had to relearn simple skills like brushing her teeth and tying her shoes, the couple embraced their second chance at life.<\/p>\n
Ryan still lives with the fear of losing her, saying he often wakes at night just to check she\u2019s okay: \u201cI\u2019ll usually kick her, and if she kicks me back, I know we\u2019re OK.\u201d<\/p>\n