FreeKibble.com
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Bazaar events....
I realize this is long, but I have a lot to say, so please bear with me.

There was a bazaar series of events starting with Bubba, my children's father and my ex-husband, riding his bicycle on a major highway in Baton Rouge. He was apparently the victim of a hit and run in late October. He had a severe closed brain injury and never fully recovered from that. He had been in the hospital for several weeks and then was moved to a nursing facility. From there he had to be transported by ambulance, on November 24th, to another hospital. He quietly passed away November 25th. He was apparently unable to speak after the accident, so we only know what information we are getting second and third hand.

We were never notified that he that he had been injured or that he was in the hospital. On Monday a friend of Bubba's called the nursing facility to check to see how he was doing and found out he had passed away. She then tracked down his elderly aunt who contacted an old family friend, who tracked me down through my place of employment. No one seemed to know very much other than the fact that he had been involved in this accident and that he had died, so I started my own investigation.

I was able to finally find out where he was and that his body had been released by the Coroner's office to a crematorium. Since Bubba was considered indigent and had no family available as far as the Coroner's office knew, they were authorized to cremate the body and store the ashes. They had planned to cremate him Monday night, but I was able to stop that until the children were notified.

I informed the kids Monday night. They have made some phone calls themselves now and have found that he is eligible for a full Military funeral as he was a Veteran of the Air Force. The Veteran's Administration will pay for most of the costs of burying his ashes in the National Cemetary in this State, including a marker, plot, full Presidential service and so on. Thank God for that.

The kids have been very strong about it all, and the fact that he has had very little contact with them since the were small children helps them to better accept his death. They are, however, dealing with their individual issues where their father is concerned. But they are in agreement as to what to do when his ashes are delivered back to the coroner's office.

My feelings are that it is sad that Bubba died in a hospital alone and that no-one in his family ever knew he was there or that he had been injured, but that is the way he lived his life for the most part. We have received his only belongings which included his wallet and a satchel holding his service papers and pictures of the children and family members, cards the kids had sent him many years ago, and other various momentos.

We should all be grateful that we don't live like he lived and that our lives and all our memories are not reduced to a wallet and a satchel. But then maybe that is a simpler way of life. We wouldn't be carrying around all the baggage we carry. Something to think about.

Please keep the kids in your thoughts and prayers as they traverse this road they have been given. And let's honor ALL our current troops and our veterans with a prayer for their safety, the love and support of their families, and peace, for which they work so hard.

Let's Roll.
 
posted by Cindy N. at 3:40 PM | Permalink |


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