Unexpected Death of Spouse, father of two

Robert Wenzel had a heart attack while driving his Ford Explorer on Monday 12/16/2019  around 3:30pm Kelly Wenzel received a call from an EMT on the scene at 4:00pm asking her to meet them at the Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital. He was then transferred to the hospital in Columbia SC by helicopter where he was on life support for 5 days.  We learned after multiple test and scans that he was brain dead and would never awake. He was let go and given to heaven to rest in peace on Saturday 12/21/19.

At this tragic time I am asking for assistance to support child care and future education for my children in this dire time. Please donate to our family as we need support my husband was the main care giver of our child Mason.

Please see full story below

Robert Wenzel had a heart attack while driving his Ford Explorer on Monday 12/16/2019 around 3:30pm Kelly Wenzel (wife) received a call from an EMT on the scene at 4:00pm asking her to meet them at the Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital. I arrived at 4:10pm in the ER the receptionist said that my husband had not arrived yet and to wait in a chair. I waited until about 4:50pm went back and asked again if he had arrived? Receptionist said someone would be out shortly, few minutes later they asked to have to go to the family room a nurse came in and explained I needed to sign some documentation to have him transferred by helicopter to Prisma health Richland Hospital in Columbia, SC. Then she proceed to tell me that when I went to his room to see him there are a lot of tubes and it may be a little scary, he was also on a ventilator and not able to speak. I went into the emergency room barely able to breath so scared I looked at my husband laying there unconscious he couldn't even open his eyes. I cried and cried trying to catch my breath grabbed my stomach of our unborn child thinking what is going to happen. They brought the Chaplin of the hospital to me to call and help me make arrangements for my two year Mason to be picked up and be taken care of, as I needed to drive to the Hospital in Columbia, SC and meet my husband and the next team of doctors. Everything was happening so fast hard to think about everything that needed to be done. I came out of the Emergency room and there were many of my Co-workers willing to help and take me where I needed to go. One helped with my son and another to drive my car to the hospital in Columbia. I work with an amazing team at CRW insurance as both me and my husband both have family but they mostly live in NJ 13 hours away. I arrive at the Hospital in Columbia and we wait and wait and wait finally someone comes out and tells what is happening. My husband suffered a heart attack due to a blockage in one of his ventricles, they inserted a stent to open the vale. Ok can I see him he must be awake and better now right? No he is still on the ventilator tubes, IV's, ect. We have not had any response but from him but this can take a couple of hours, you can see him. I go into the room and cry, waiting for his eyes to awake anything grab of my hand praying he will wake up. The nurse tells me you need to go home and get some rest take care of that baby and come back tomorrow it may be 24 -48 hours for him to wake up. I then go home Tuesday morning I was back at the hospital 7:00am waiting and praying for his eyes to open. The nurse keeps me up to date about his condition and medication they have him on. They still have had no positive response but it can take time hours keep going on and on. It's 3:30pm on Tuesday I leave the hospital to pick up our two year from day care takes me a hour and 15 mins to get back into town. I spend the night with Mason our son have dinner pack a charger and have a Mason's Aunt Rita stay with him while I head back to the hospital to spend the night with my husband. I have made several calls to his family and his brother and his wife, mom and little brother drive down from NJ to meet me at the hospital on Wednesday. They arrive and were in disbelief of Roberts Condition. We spoke with the nurse and all family members received an update. Still no response the nurse looks at me and says have you called your parents I said well yes they know what is happening but I didn't want to have them come down because that makes this even more real I guess for me. The nurse looks and me and says have them come and any other family he may have you could see in her eyes she knew this wasn't going well. But I didn't give up hope or on prayer.  Thursday morning my parents were here Roberts mother and other family members we listened to the doctors and updates on his condition. No positive news nothing saying that he was just going to open his eyes and start talking to everyone. Friday Morning we receive results of an MRI Scan done of Roberts brain. The doctors and nurses explain that his entire brain was effected by acute anoxic brain injury, caused by loss of oxygen to his brain when his heart stopped back on Monday due to the heart attack. We had many decision to make his organs were staring to fail, and his brain had irreversible damage. We were told by all three teams of his doctors that he would never wake up and that all the machines in the room were keeping him alive. My husband and I spoke many time if something were to happen done let me live like a vegetable and we both agreed. So after many prayers and speaking with all the doctors nurses, brothers, sisters, and mother of Robert we all agreed he would never want to live this way. We decide on Saturday 12/21/19 to let him go in peace and be with God in heaven. This is the hardest thing I ever did as me and my husband are high school sweethearts meet in 2003 dated and eloped 6/11/2008. We had our first child 8/3/17 and we decide we try again this past summer of 2019 for Mason to have a sibling. I am now 26 weeks pregnant and trying to pick up the pecices and be stronger then ever for our children please help us in any way possible. Thank you