Today, November 19th, is the fourteen-year anniversary of Anna’s death. It’s hard to believe it’s been fourteen years since we sat together in our living room, heartbroken — wondering how we would survive without her.
Anna had gotten sick in the middle of the night. I assumed she had a stomach bug; I hoped that was all it was. I was up with her, holding her hair away from her face as she vomited. I bathed her in an attempt to ease her discomfort. While she was in the tub, I tried to distract her by talking about Christmas, which was just around the corner. It worked for a while.
When she was out of the tub and dressed in her jammies, I crawled into her bed, next to her older sister, Cecily, who was sleeping peacefully. I propped myself up on some pillows and had Anna lie against me so I could attempt to calm her racing heart. I stroked her hair and prayed for her.
“I feel so much better now,” she said, bringing comfort to my fearful heart.
Less than an hour later, Anna went into cardiac arrest.
Courtney Becker was the 911 dispatcher whose calm voice guided my husband as we attempted to revive Anna with CPR and waited for the ambulance. A train was in the path. Fourteen minutes passed before they finally arrived—the longest distress call of Courtney’s career.
Anna died that morning.
Our lives were crushed. Our hearts were broken. Little did we know, Courtney’s heart grieved too. My husband’s pleas into the phone for Anna, breathless from panic, made Courtney think our daughter’s name was Hannah. Hannah was his own young daughter’s name. His heart was early engaged on that fourteen minute emergency call.
God was at work behind the scenes. Our families had never met and wouldn’t for many more years, but God was bonding us in a way we never would have expected. Anna’s death played a significant role in Courtney’s journey toward hope.
Four years later, through a series of events, we met Courtney and his family and we grew to love the Beckers. Courtney and Anna were connected in ways I still don’t fully understand, and it all began that dreadful morning when we all lost something precious. A life.
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
He Heard Hannah, The 911 Call That Saved the Dispatcher’s Life, is the book that tells our story. The book is currently out of print, but the second edition is in the works!
UPDATE: The 2nd edition is now here! Available online everywhere!
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