May 21, 2016

Heartbreaking pictures show couple's last moments together

Final moments: Jim Minnini, 58, holds his wife Cindy's hand in intensive care, just hours before he died

They lived a happy life together until eight years ago, when Jim was diagnosed with lung cancer. He fought it off twice before being told in 2012 that he had just a 10 per cent chance of survival.
After around 75 chemotherapy and radiation therapy sessions, he was admitted to hospital in Kingston in late April and placed in intensive care.
The next day, Cindy had a heart attack and was rushed to a hospital in Brockville, Ontario.


'For about four or five days, we were going back and forth [between the two hospitals],' Chris said. 
After his father's condition worsened and it became clear his time was running out, doctors arranged a transfer for Cindy and moved her to the same intensive care ward. 
Doctors woke Jim up so his two sons could tell him that Cindy was in the next room. 
'When my dad found out that he was going, he was stiff faced and shook his head. But when he found out that my mom was in the next room in the ICU, he started bawling,' Chris said. 
Unable to speak, Jim scrawled the word 'mom' on a piece of paper.
He was wheeled in and out several times but could only stay for a matter of minutes before his condition worsened and he had to return to his bed. 
The night before he died, the father-of-two had a nightmare and pulled his tubes out of his throat. Doctors were unable to re-intubate him, so they brought him through to see Cindy one last time.
She was sedated and sleeping peacefully, unaware that Jim was holding her hand.  
Chris took the photographs so his mother would know she was with her husband when he died.
Cindy is back at home recovering now, and her son said seeing the pictures of her and Jim together in his final moments has helped her find her peace. 

Final farewell: Chris took the photographs so his mother would know she was with her husband when he died

Jim and Cindy Minnini

Chris Minnini



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