Saving Dad

Most kids are saved a thousand times over by their fathers. Oh you know, a bandage on the knee, wiping a tear from the face or consoling them when their first tragedy strikes.

Good fathers are always there when they’re needed most. “I don’t think dad ever missed any of our games,” said Michelle about her father Tom Rombach.

He’d been a father who stayed the course and held the family together during the tough times.

But now, in his hour of greatest need, it’s his children who came to the rescue. Tom is alive today because of them and he’s recovering with them and their extended families right behind him, encouraging him every step of the way.

“He’s always been our support. He’s a loving man,” said Michelle. In fact, she says of life itself, “He loved us through it.”

When Tom Rombach fell in front of a neighbor, as his own family helped pack and move him and wife Deb from their beloved cabin home near Siren to their new home in Grantsburg, the “loving” came full circle.

“We’d just finished eating on their deck and dad got up and went over to the neighbors and right after that we heard him (the neighbor) holler for help,” said Michelle.

She and brother Nick sprang into action. “I called 9-1-1, saw dad on the ground, and handed the phone to Nick,” she said.

Suddenly they were in a whole new world of unexplored territory. Their dad laid on the ground, needing help, and it was just them, Michelle, Nick, and neighbor Mark.

“I didn’t really think about saving my dad’s life,” said Michelle. She called it, “Surreal,” as if she was standing outside herself, watching the whole thing.

Michelle began to administer mouth-to-mouth while Nick and Neighbor Mark alternated by pumping Tom’s chest. “Thank God they were there because I was not strong enough,” she added.

EMTs and rescue personal arrived and about that time Nick and Michelle’s brother Bob also was at the scene.’

He’d been summoned by an urgent message from his brother Nick. ”You need to hurry up. Dad’s in trouble,” Bob would later recall his brother saying.

“When I got to the house and saw the scene I couldn’t believe it. I still can’t believe it even though it’s the only thing I can see when I close my eyes,” Bob would later recall as he wrote on his father’s “Caring Bridge journal”.

The rest became a blur they pieced together — seven “shocking treatments” by the EMTs, help pouring in from all over, and eventually an emergency flight to U of M Fairview Hospital in the Twin Cities.

All the time Tom’s family was going through the terrible moments of not knowing if their father was going to survive.

Writing as though he was writing to his father, Bob said, “They took you away in the ambulance and told us they were taking you to the Siren airport to “Life Flight” you to the Twin Cities. They didn’t know which hospital, but they promised they would call as soon as they knew.”

Michelle added, “I didn’t know if he’d make it or not.”

But the fact she saw his chest rise when she gave him mouth-to-mouth, helped her believe the air was getting too him.

Once in the air, the family had contact with a flight nurse, who turned out to be one of Michelle’s co-workers from Wood River Nursery. The family heard  Kate’s report that they’d “lost” Tom, “But got him back.”

“It was such a relief to know it was Kate up there.” Later the family would refer to her as “Kate the Angel.”

ALL OF the miraculous moments from the start have not been lost on the Rombach family.

As the days rolled on, doctors discovered Tom had “significant” coronary artery disease. He had two stents in important arteries. One was completely blocked and the other was 70 percent blocked. Two others were completely blocked arteries. But doctors decided they’re going to wait to work on them.

“Dad was going to have a heart attack,” said Michelle, but they refuse to believe he wasn’t in God’s hands.

“We were there. Neighbor Mark wasn’t supposed to be there, but he was. It happened when it needed to happen,” said Michelle.

Then there was the “Angel” on the flight, a gallery of dedicated EMTs, nurses, and doctors who all seemed to be in the right place at the right time.

“I was and am amazed and completely convinced it was an act of God that put you (Nick, Michelle, and neighbor Mark) there at that time,” Bob wrote.

As the flight lifted off and Tom was whisked off to the Twin Cities, the family gathered to pray.

THIS WASN’T Tom Rombach’s first brush with death. He was wounded twice in Vietnam and eventually returned home.

A U.S. Marine, Rombach became a radio telephone operator in Vietnam and recently told about his service in the steamy jungles of that country for a show (coming soon) on his son Bob’s “WE ARE Network.”

The Rombach family has enjoyed a joke about Tom for years.

A grandchild was once asked about her grandfather’s service to his country and she said, “He was shot twice, once in the butt during the civil war.”

Obviously the granddaughter’s wars got a little mixed up, but it’s been a joke that’s had it’s own life in the Rombach family.

Yet, it may well have been that same U. S. Marine training that helps save Tom’s life.

Daughter Michelle was also a Marine and she used the mouth-to-mouth she learned while in training.

“I always joked with dad, saying I was going to the Army, but actually, I wanted to be a Marine since I was in the fifth grade,” said Michelle.

That same “fight” Tom learned as a Marine is now seeing him through the long fight to recovery.

“I think he fought for his family — his grandkids,” Michelle believes. “God is not finished with him here, yet,” she said, as a smile of relief began to cross her face.

“We’ve always been a close family, but we’re closer now,” Michelle added.

COMMUNITY has taken on a whole new meaning for the Rombach family.

They’ve been overwhelmed by the response since Tom’s heart attack.

“I’ve received so many private messages. I just love living in a small community — because of this. We know dad is so loved,” said Michelle.

Even Bob was surprised by the outpouring of affection from the community.

He wrote to his dad, “I can’t wait for you to see and hear from everyone who has been praying for you and our family. You’re probably going to feel a little overwhelmed by all the attention you’ve gotten.”

He added, “It’s pretty amazing, but not surprising, the number of people who ask about you when I’m out and about. Today I went to the hardware store, Country Cafe, the post office, the lumber yard, and my office for like two minutes. Every stop I made, people were so kind and shared their well-wishes for you.”

And Bob wrote,  “I love it here,” and, “I feel like we live in a bubble of incredible people.”

BECAUSE of the Coronavirus, only Tom’s wife Debbie was allowed to be with her husband. But that didn’t keep the family from using technology to communicate with their father and grandfather.

Tom was initially tested for the virus and was cleared by the medical staff.

But there’s no doubt the virus has kept a close family from being physically close.

In fact, they’ve done everything they could possibly do to make the entire experience work.

“Renae (Bob’s wife), came up with an idea to put stuff on the hospital room door,” said Michelle.

The “stuff” told the hospital staff about Tom’s life, his family, and what he is like. It was a unique attempt to bring the staff closer to the patient. And it worked. “The staff was taking photos of it,” Michelle smiled.

As Tom laid in the hospital, recovering, gaining strength day by day, Deb and the family went through the formal sale of the Rombach cabin and continued the move into their new home.

Bob wrote to his dad, “It’ll all be ready for you when it’s time to go home.”

It’s been a long journey for the former Grantsburg and Siren postmaster. And it’s not nearly over. There’s a long way to go, including fixing those clogged arteries.

But on Thursday Bob posted a photo of his father sitting up, looking almost like himself. And he wrote, “a picture is worth a thousand words.”

Then Bob added, “We’re so thankful you’re doing so well. It’s going to be so great to be with you.”

EXACTLY TWO WEEKS after the heart attack, Tom was released to go home. His family gathered around him and they shared a meal together at a local restaurant, one of Tom’s favorite things to do.

In his final Caring Bridge journal entry, Bob wrote, “I’m so excited to get to keep doing life with you and Mom. I’m so glad that your ten grandchildren get to have you around longer.” And closed by saying, “I’m overjoyed that this story has a very happy ending”.

We all are.