SB Diver Littlejohn - Rest in Peace

[Fox-Cousteau]

No nothing has changed. John has some clots that need to be disolved and his brain shows some clouded areas. Everything John has the hospital can fix. All except because of the stroke he may need help. ( Rehab ) or not they do not know.

He will not suffer because they will be giving him moraphine before and after they turn off his Life Support.

SG, Thanks for going the extra 100 miles in all of this, It has been hard on me because I couldn't be there to support John and his family personally. This news has hit me in the gut.

To those who are following this thread please allow me to make a theological statement in hopes of providing some comfort to those of us who know John.

There is going to be at least one person(probably several) who will ask "why did God allow this to happen?" I have 3 responses to this question:
1. God is God and we are not. If I could figure God out, then I'd be equal to Him, which I am not(in fact, I am vary far away from being equal)
2. As much as God loves all of us (even those who say they don't believe in HIM) (and remember true love must be freely given to be true love) soooo, as much as God loves us He allows us to make free choices and every choice has a consequence--some are pleasant, some unpleasant.
3. The world is not the way God designed it to be. We changed it (see Genesis chapters 1-3; choices thing). Bad things seem to happen to good people and good things often happen to bad people. I don't like it, but it's the consequence of choices we make. If everything was perfect this would be Heaven, last time I looked around (even on a reef with 100ft viz or in Ginnie with 200+ viz) this place is no were near being able to even resemble Heaven.

May God bless all of us in our efforts to care for each other and the world He made.
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NIV)

 

[D_B]

Prayers .. for John, his family, and his friends

 

[DebbyDiver]

Words cannot express how sad I am for John and his family at this time. Regardless I am still praying that he pulls through.

 

[Speargirl]

Please respect Little John and his the family by not posting detailed, or what could be confidential, information about his condition or the possible outcomes of his situation.

If I was his family I'd think these posts were not in very good taste at this moment.

Right now Little John needs all of our prayers.

Capt Gary

Gary I was asked by Stewart to post this so that John did not recieve any visitors today. I posted what he told me to, Do I think it is fair to John no. Do I think this is Gods will no.

His long time friend which is his minister is not even allowed to come up today.

 

[DandyDon]

I am a real outsider here yet am certainly touched by this thread and the sad news about LittleJohn's experiences. I have been tempted to post questions about Patient's Rights and Hospital Responsibilities in the last several hour, but I guess Ethics Committees, Courts, Legislatures, and our friendly Attorney industry have already developed in depth studies on the subject. I think I'll be Net surfing and reading more today about such, but I doubt that anything "wrong" is involved - altho I certainly do not know the details.

My warmest regards go to LittleJohn, his family and his loving friends, especially in these hours of unknown and possible friction.

I remember when ICE was first discussed on Scubabard here that emergency responders said then that they did not check cells for such a listing, but now it seems to becoming more popular with many here so maybe they are now? It certainly couldn't hurt to include such listings on ones cell, but also include such in other places like my dog tag, wrist band, wallet cards, dive bag cards, DAN membership records & cards. I have discussed "If I should die while diving" and left a written statement with my next of kin, but have not discussed what my preferences may be in a close-call scenario similar to this one. I guess maybe I should. I once did 4 dives to 100 ft altitude adjusted along with other physically challenging activities with a painfully clogged leg vein (DVT) and wonder how close I am to an in water stroke then, so this has hit a little close to home for me.

Kindest wishes to all.

 

[DebbyDiver]

Don, I just realized that DAN is NOT in my cellphone!!! I am shocked!!! And yes, I am entering it NOW...under DAN and under Divers Alert Network. THANK YOU!

 

[TSandM]

In hopes of defusing this a bit, I want to offer some information about withdrawal of life support. We do not withdraw life support because a family asks us to do it. (You can get indicted for murder for doing that, if any of the nursing staff should disagree with the decision and decide to report you, among other things.) We withdraw life support in cases where the prognosis is dismal -- Either for brain death or other neurologic devastation, or because there is no reasonable hope for survival (persistent multiple organ failure).

Clots in the brain can be dissolved by medical therapy up to six hours after they form; beyond that, there is no utility of treatment, because the neurons have died, and the risk of inducing bleeding into the brain becomes too high. At this point in Littlejohn's course, any therapy that can improve his neurologic status has already been offered. My guess is that the scans have shown extensive and devastating neurologic injury, portending a very poor functional outcome, should he survive at all.

Doctors are in the business of saving lives, not taking them; we hate to lose these battles. I am QUITE sure that Littlejohn's physicians would not agree to take him off life support if they felt there was any likelihood of a meaningful survival (in other words, outside of a vegetative state or on a ventilator).

 

[Speargirl]

Thank you, You have answered my question.

 

[Divergirl4U]

I am so sad :depressed: Go peacefully my friend you will be missed.

 

[FritzCat66]

I just talked to John's brother. As of about 2:00pm today, John is no longer with us. He had devastating neurological damage to his brain, which apparently the docs think was from a massive blood pressure loss due to a clot in his lungs.

Becky (speargirl) may post more information in a bit, including plans for a memorial service for John next Saturday.

John's brother extended his gratitude for everyone in the Florida diving community for all their support, he said John's mother had no clue how many divers knew John and how active he was in this community.

When we got back on the boat after what turns out to have been John's last dive, he told me how much he enjoyed the dives that day and that he was glad he made it down to Jupiter. On the drive down there, all John talked about was diving and how much he was into it. So, John went out doing something he truly loved.

Peace to all.

>*< Fritz