Alan woke up with back pain on March 12th and stayed home for a week, seeking relief and waiting for a specialist appointment. On March 18th, he struggled to get out of bed—his legs felt weak, and he could barely stand. His wife helped him to the bathroom, then to the top of the stairs. But as they attempted to go down, he fell, twisting his left knee.

With help from his son and son-in-law, they got him downstairs and to the ER. Tests revealed a blood infection and a possible spinal infection. He was in need of transfer to Medical Center of the Rockies. However, a bed was not available until March 19th, and transportation was delayed, so his daughter and wife transported him, and from this point forward, he was not able to ambulate at all.

On March 20th, doctors performed a spinal biopsy, but results were inconclusive. His knee swelled significantly, from falling at home and sustained injuries to his tendon and ligaments. Aspiration from his left knee revealing gout crystals, despite his medication. His condition quickly deteriorated—his stomach became distended, his hands and feet grew tender to touch of any sort, and by March 25th, he began hallucinating.

On the morning of March 26th, his wife stepped out briefly. When she returned, she was informed Alan was in respiratory distress — his oxygen levels plummeting despite full support. He was moved to the Intensive Care Unit where doctors fought to stabilize him. By the afternoon, they told his wife his heart couldn’t sustain the strain and recommended intubation.

During the intubation procedure, Alan went into cardiac arrest. A “Code Blue” was called. His wife, overwhelmed and praying, was told they had worked on him for 35 minutes with little hope. She asked them to continue just long enough for their children to say goodbye.

At 3:12PM, Alan very suddenly and unexpectedly passed away at the age of 62. His official cause of death is written as Mesenteric Ischemia/Intestinal Ischemia, Respiratory Failure, Sepsis, Bacteremia, and Discitis.

In his final act, Alan was an organ donor—his blue eyes went to someone who dearly needed them and will see the world again, through his eyes. Surrounded by love, his family (five children, one son-in-law and two grandchildren) now holds each other up, finding strength in the time they had with him, and the memories they built with one another.