And Ever Thanks

Many of you know that the day finally came when I was able to meet the mountain rescue team that assisted in getting me off of the mountain after the accident that changed my life. They were also an integral part of bringing my husband home the next day. The Corvallis Mountain Rescue Unit along with several other local search and rescue teams, the Oregon National Guard, U.S. Coast Guard and Linn and Marion County Sheriff's were all major parts of the search and rescue effort and many of the individuals involved and institutions may never truly know how thankful I am for the help that they provided to me but also for the work they do on a regular basis. These individuals are often volunteers and leave their families and their homes to go out to assist complete strangers...and for that, I am forever thankful. Since I was airlifted off of Mt. Jefferson, I have only wanted one thing. I wanted to say thank you to those that fought so hard to rescue my husband and I. I wanted to personally thank each and every one of them and let them know that their work is beyond appreciated and recognized. That day came.

My family and I were able to meet the members of the Corvallis Mountain Rescue Unit a few days ago. We talked about how grateful we were for their aide and for them bringing Tommy back home to us. We laughed. We shared stories over beer. We talked about other outdoor activities. Where to buy the best skis. What the best dog food is. We talked about our normal day to day lives. We talked. We laughed some more. We hugged. There may or may not have been a few teary eyes in the room from time to time. But most of all, I was able to become acquaintances on a personal level with those that majorly impacted my life. One of the most fulfilling days ever.

I would like to share the thank you letter that I wrote to the team:

"To the Corvallis Mountain Rescue Unit,

 

You have said that you think of me and my family often. That is true for me as well, everyone on the team has been in my thoughts every day since the accident on Mt. Jefferson. I think about how everyone is processing the mission. I think about whether or not you were put in danger. I think about how you drop everything going on in your normal life to run out there and help strangers. I thank you for that, every day.

 

Being an emergency responder myself, I know we can beat ourselves up regarding how a call or a mission turns out. I am not sure if any of you are doing that regarding our mission but if you are, I want to assure you that you did everything right. You got to us as soon as you could and I am so grateful for your attempts. I watched you delicately dance on the ridgelines and navigate the glacier with precision. I also saw your kindness, generosity, and sincerity. I would hate for you to beat yourselves up over the outcome that weekend. You did everything right. You did everything perfectly.

 

Personally, you were part of my driving force during the night. I had nothing else to look forward to except your pending arrival. Many of you might have heard this or read this from the article in the newspaper, but you really were my beacons of hope through the night. Once we made contact, I realized that you were some of the most humble, caring, courageous, and selfless bad asses out there. You were no longer this fictitious character out in the distance, but human. You did not have to be so caring. Your mission was to rescue two stranded hikers, not be an emotional support system for a young widow. I guess what I am trying to say is that each and every one of you went above and beyond and showed exemplary care.

 

It was an honor.

 

From the bottom of my beat up and broken heart…Thank you."

 Were they brought into my life because of shitty circumstances? Absolutely! But I feel like certain individuals are always brought into your life for a reason and I truly believe that these amazing individuals were not just brought into my life for a mountain rescue. Maybe it was so that I would finally chase my distant dream of joining search and rescue. Maybe it was to see how selfless others could be. Maybe it was to show me the nature of humanity...that there is still good in the world. Who knows?

Me and Tyler (the first rescuer to me)

Speaking of people being brought into your lives for different reasons, I met another fantastic person today. I took my mom, who hasn't been on skis in over thirty years, skiing today. I decided that we would start with lessons. I put her in a beginner lesson and myself in a more advanced lesson. There was only one other person in my group, he volunteers for Eugene Mountain Rescue. Eugene Mountain Rescue was also involved in our mission on Mt. Jefferson. I honestly do not think that it was chance that he was the only other skier on a busy weekend in my lesson group. I was able to personally thank him for all his work that weekend and to the rest of his teammates. He gave me some information on ways to become a part of a search and rescue team and also a pretty established climbing community in the area. We can think situations occur by chance but sometimes the signs are too obvious to miss.

To all of the individuals that worked so hard Thanksgiving weekend...I cannot thank you enough. You may never truly know or realize how much you mean to me and how much you have impacted my life. Forever Thanks!

P.S. I love you, Tommy. You are my heart and soul.