Young couples, after getting married, usually believe they have decades together to build their lives and grow. But, as we know, life can be incredibly unpredictable and throw you curveballs you never expected!

On a seemingly ordinary Saturday in May 2007, Ryan Finley woke up with the expectation of a typical day. He glanced at the time and realized he should wake his wife, Jill Finley, a task he usually didn’t undertake on Saturday mornings.

“I went to wake Jill up, which is a miracle in itself as I never, ever, do that on Saturday mornings,” he later recalled. He called her name, but there was no response. Surprised, he began to shake her gently, but still, there was no reaction. Fear and panic quickly set in. Desperate, Ryan immediately called emergency services while simultaneously performing CPR on his wife.

When paramedics arrived, they quickly transferred her to an ambulance to take her to a hospital. He followed the ambulance closely behind in his truck.

At the hospital, medical professionals assessed Jill’s condition and concluded that she had suffered a cardiac arrest.

Jill underwent intense medical procedures to stabilize her, while Ryan waited anxiously outside the emergency room, receiving periodic updates on his wife’s situation.

The doctor finally came out to update Ryan about Jill’s condition and advised him to pray. “When a doctor tells you to start praying, I feel it’s about as serious as it’s going to get,” Ryan later said, realizing the severity of the situation.

Soon after, the doctors informed Ryan that his wife was in a coma. Ryan could not believe that his beautiful, vibrant 31-year-old wife was fighting for her life.

Throughout the two long weeks that Jill remained in a coma, a steady stream of visitors came to support Ryan and offer their prayers. One of Jill’s cousins visited, Bible in hand, reading passages to Jill for over an hour. He left the Bible with Ryan, suggesting he read passages if he felt like. Taking this to heart, Ryan read out loud to his wife, hoping she would awaken.

After 11 days, Ryan went home to gather his thoughts and make a harrowing decision. The doctors had suggested withdrawing life support, as they believed there was no hope for improvement. After much internal struggle, Ryan made the heart-wrenching decision to go ahead with the doctors’ advice. On the 14th day of her coma, Jill was taken off life support.

About five hours after the life support was withdrawn, Jill began to move and mumble. Ryan had been unable to bear watching his wife’s last moments and had stepped into the waiting area, thinking she was passing.

Ryan recalls vividly, “The nurse came out and said, ‘I think you need to come in, she’s talking.’”

He walked into the room expecting to have a final conversation with his wife. Astonishingly, Jill was fully conscious and coherent. The first thing she said was, ‘Get me out of here. I want to go home.’”

Ryan, both shocked and cautious, peppered her with questions to ensure she was truly back. She answered correctly, reciting their pets’ names and performing simple mental math. She even mentioned her craving for her favorite Mexican restaurant’s fare.

Jill later explained that she had no memory of the coma, only the sensation of having been away and then returned. In an interview when asked what he thought brought Jill back, Ryan immediately replied, “God. Divine intervention. I honestly feel that way.”

Life didn’t return to normal immediately after Jill woke up. She needed to relearn basic motor skills like brushing her teeth or tying her shoelaces. However, the couple viewed this as a second chance at life and their relationship, vowing to always support each other. Jill firmly believes Ryan made the right call, saying she wouldn’t have wanted to live as a “vegetable.”

The entire experience left Ryan profoundly changed. The anxiety and fear linger, and he admits, “There’s still not a night that goes by that I don’t wake up. I’ll usually kick her, and if she kicks me back, I know we’re OK.”

Sometimes life grants you a second chance in the most unimaginable ways. Ryan and Jill are living proof of this miraculous occurrence.

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