Speaking at ER Training

Outside the Emergency room of Utah Valley Hospital

A year ago I ( Bryce's mum) went with a friend to start tap lessons.  As the year progressed I learned that our teacher was a nurse in ER at Utah Valley hospital.  One day as I was visiting with her and some of the other ladies in our class, the thought came to me that she might have known about Bryce.  I told her about his accident and asked if she remembered anything about it.  She did and she was the nurse that admitted Bryce.  I was very  humbled to think out of all the people in Utah County that my tap teacher in Elk Ridge shared that significant day with me.  Later she asked me if it would be alright if Kim spoke to a group of doctors and nurses about our experience since he rode in the ambulance and was with Bryce the entire time from the accident to the end.  Time passed and just this  month, a date was set and on Monday I met Kim in the hospital conference room filled with talking, eating, noisy people while a presenter was up front explaining a service that his company provided.  Several people took turns speaking and each time they were given a sign that told them they had one minute left, etc.  Everyone was talking fast to get through their material.  I wondered if Kim was prepared to condense and be as fast with his recounting of Bryce's accident.  When his time came there was as a hush that settled and the hurry was gone.  I was surprised and relieved for Kim.  It was not the easiest of things to talk about and as he got to the part of the end of the doctors and nurses trying to do what they could for Bryce, the tears rolled down his cheeks.  I just sat there telling myself to smile.  I did okay but there were Kleenexes being handed up and down the rows and sniffles behind me.  Kim said that it was difficult to talk when he saw the tears in others eyes.  It is a sacred thing to talk about death to those that work hard to stop it.   He got no sign telling him to finish up and it was very quiet  but after he concluded there was a group of doctors and nurses that filed around him and expressed their sorrow and shared memories of that day.  We got to meet several that were there that day...people who said they recognized us and those that remembered easily the events of Bryce's accident.  That amazed me.  I can only say that from the depths of my heart and Kim's, we felt such a sense of gratitude for this group of people and all they tried to do for Bryce and for them remembering him and sharing their grief with us.  It was sacred to us.  Their faces were a blur that long ago day but their desires to help Bryce, to do all that they could and the way they treated our family will always stay with us.  That is one reason why Brooke, Dallin and McKay are having their picture taken moments after saying good bye to Bryce.  That is why I like this photo so much.  To the casual observer, it is a picture of our children somewhere but to us, on that day, it is a reminder of a loving Heavenly Father, a sacred experience, a special angel looking over us and the goal...our family can be forever.