My Daddy is an Angel Now

My Daddy died at 7:33 a.m. at Tampa General Hospital. He was surrounded by his loved ones.

My mom received a call around 4 a.m. that he was declining fast. We hopped in the car and 30 minutes and running two red lights later we were with my Daddy. He ma not have seen to know we were there but we know he knew. He was wearing an Oxygen mask and making aweful noises in pain. He couldn't say words. We waited until my sisters, Melissa (with her husband Barry) and Tonya, to put him just on morphine. Around 6:30 a.m. they unplugged all his medicines and pumps and he was left on morphine and Oxygen. We didn't want him to be in pain anymore and be able to go in peace.

We all sat around him and near the end my mom was sitting on his left holding him and I was on his right holding his hand with the sisters standing around. He was fighting for every breath that he took. We had his solid gold oldies on in the background. Around 7:30 a.m. his heart level started to drop rapidly. Tonya screamed out in fear and Melissa started to wail in pain. I kept kissing my sweet Daddy and telling him how much I love him and how he won't be in pain anymore and over and over how much I love him. At 7:33 a.m. he went red and to 0. He didn't go in any pain. The morphine kicked in and he was completely comfortable and surrounded by his loved ones.

We spent abot the next 10-15 minutes in the room. I kept holding his hand and kissing him and telling him I loved him. Barry closed my Daddy's eyes. I still have blood on my hand from one of his IV marks on my hand. Then we left the room and had to inform family and friends, cry into each other and the nurses and doctors arms. The staff was amazing toward us. The chaplain came to talk to us about next steps.

My Daddy is going to be cremated. There won't be a funeral but there will be a memorial service that we'll be planning and of course we will let everyone know so they can choose to come of not. We plan to scatter his ashes around the beach, the family gravesite in Trempealeau, WI, his favorite hill in WI, where my Daddy met my Mommy and so on.

As the family was driving home there was a rainbow ... The Lord made my dad into a rainbow to shine down on his family. He's up there now with his Mommy (who died June 12th, 2011), his brother Jim, who died at a young age in 1972, and his wonderful grandparents and the rest of our family and friends that have passed.

Rest in peace Daddy. I know you'll be watching over all of us. We pray for strength and comfort in this time.

William Ronald Eichman, March 10th, 1944 - August 8th, 2011 - Retired Air Force, Beloved Husband, Father, Brother, Son and Friend.

We love you and miss you already.

God saw you were getting tired and a cure was not meant to be, so he put
his arms around you and whispered "Come with me". With tearful eyes we
watched you as we saw you pass away. Although we love you deeply, we could
not make you stay. Your golden heart stopped beating, hard working hands
at rest, God broke our hearts to prove to us - He only takes the best. REST IN PEACE DADDY! #LiveStrong!

Philippians 4:4-7 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.