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Doug’s Story

Site created on November 18, 2018

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.

On Saturday, November 17th, Doug suffered a serious heart attack while he was driving in his hometown of Fairmont, Minnesota. Thankfully, a passerby saw his car enter the ditch at a relatively slow speed and called for emergency services. First responders administered CPR and transported him to Fairmont's community Mayo hospital, where resuscitation continued on and off for about an hour. He eventually regained a pulse and circulation and was then airlifted to Abbott Northwestern Hospital, where he is currently in the ICU.

It is standard procedure for someone who has had such a serious heart attack to be placed in a medically-induced coma, which is Doug's current condition. He is being kept comfortable and is being monitored very closely. There are some interventions in place that serve as an attempt to prevent the main complications of brain injury that can occur after circulation has been interrupted for so long. We are in a holding pattern for the next ~24 hours before they will make any attempt to see what his neurological function will look like. They will slowly wean his sedation to see what his level of awareness is. If he regains substantial awareness, they will potentially send him for a procedure to open some of the blockages.

As for Doug's immediate family, we are spending time in and out of the hospital connecting with each other and loved ones, holding Doug's hand as able, and telling many Doug stories. Doug's son Clint is en route from Colorado as is his sister Sandy from Iowa. We remain hopeful and yet we are making every attempt to manage our expectations. We have the tremendous benefit of having Doug's daughter Hillary here to translate and interpret everything that is happening and to advocate for Doug. She spent many years working in the same type of unit that Doug is in now. He is receiving the best care possible at Abbott, where he has been a Minneapolis Heart Institute patient for past cardiovascular care.

We will keep this site updated in journal entries as more information becomes available. We also appreciate the many offers of help. We do not yet have our needs dialed in at this time. Family is coming and going with Hillary & Koleena's house acting as the grand central station, just 5 min from the hospital. Your prayers, positive thoughts, and healing energies are greatly appreciated. And if you care to add to our anthology of Doug stories, please add to the Guestbook on this site.

Newest Update

Journal entry by Koleena Harrison — Nov 20, 2018

Hello Family & Friends:

We wanted to pass along some brief details about Doug’s celebration of life services:

Visitation:
Thursday, November 29
4:30pm to 7:00pm
First Congregational United Church of Christ
319 Downtown Plaza
Fairmont, MN

Funeral/Celebration of Life:
Friday, November 30
Visitation: 12:30pm to 1:30pm
Service: 1:30pm
First Congregational UCC
319 Downtown Plaza
Fairmont, MN

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to First Congregational UCC in Fairmont or the Fairmont Community Hospital Foundation.

We continue to be overwhelmed by the compassion and generosity of others as we grieve and remember our dear Doug. There was never any question that Doug & Marilyn felt abundantly loved by their community, but we all remain stunned by the caring gestures that are coming (& coming) in the form of delicious meals & snacks, loving words, completion of errands & tasks, visits, and so many stories that leave us in tears and/or fits of laughter.

We thank all of you for your care and love over the past few days. Your kindness and warmth has sustained us all.

Read More of the journal titled "Celebration of Life Details"

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