Our little community of Petersburg is so amazing! Dan and I were born and raised here, on this island, as were our parents, as were our children, and most of our grandchildren. We have always known this town was special. In these last 4 ½ months I fully realized how wonderful this community is, how generous, how caring and giving.
The food. I didn’t realize we have so many fabulous cooks in this town. The gifts of food, flowers, gifts of kind gestures, is crazy. I couldn’t even begin to explain to an outsider what living here with all of you incredible people means!
Dan was given a choice at Virginia Mason, a choice that did not come lightly. He was given the choice to continue chemotherapy or to not. After the most difficult conversation of our lives, Dan was ready to come home. He didn’t know how much time he had, but wanted to do it here, in Petersburg.
Once again Petersburg was amazing in making this happen. So many stars were aligned the day we got on Airlift Northwest who just happened to be doing a “Haul Back” from Anchorage. The Petersburg Medical Center staff made this happen from Petersburg within minutes, when we had sat at Virginia Mason for 5 days waiting with no news.
The moment we landed he was treated with loving, caring hands from all. He saw familiar faces. He woke up the next morning telling us that, “He felt the best he had felt in 4 ½ months.
Dan got to come home by ambulance, to his home a week and a half before he passed over. That ride, along with the medivac ride were the best moments of his life since December 29th, 2018. The ambulance crew that picked him up that day showed Big “D” Petersburg Mountain for the last time, let him smell the water, see the boat harbor, and let him see his home. This amazing town of volunteers stopped what they were doing to stop by the boat harbor and show a dying man his home. It was Epic! At no other place in this universe would the ambulance ever do that. Only in Petersburg.
So many of you deserve a big hug and a huge thank you! I don’t think there are enough thank you cards in Petersburg to do my rapidly growing list justice. So, here we go. Thank you from the depths of my heart. Some day when you need a helping hand, the Vick family will return the gifts and favors. We will be paying it forward.
Please know, my family is feeling your love and generosity.
Sincerely, The Vick family
A Celebration of Life will be on May 25th, 2019.
Details will follow.
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