To Whom it may concern
On June 5, 2017, our 28-year-old son & Anchorage FD paramedic/firefighter, Ben Schultz, was involved in a training accident at his station #5. He fell approximately 95 feet down a truck ladder. He stayed within the rails, striking the ladder many times, hit the truck, and landed on the ground.
Ben’s crew worked valiantly to save him and was transported in critical condition to Providence Hospital, some 5 miles away. He suffered a traumatic brain injury along with 2 fractured ankles, a broken arm, and other internal injuries. He was in a coma in the critical care unit in Anchorage for a month.
On July 6, 2017, in a semi-vegetative state, Ben was transported via medivac plane to Craig Hospital in Denver. A large contingent of SMFR was on hand when his plane landed to greet him and his wife, Tazlena, at Centennial airport.
Later that evening, my wife, Joan, and I arrived to be with Ben. The following day, Paul Russell arrived just outside of Ben’s hospital room at Craig, where I was waiting. Paul politely and pleasantly introduced himself as an FD volunteer chaplain. I really did not want to speak (nor could I speak very well) with anyone about Ben. Especially with a stranger. Ben’s injury was still too fresh and raw, and we had no sense of what Ben’s fate would be. On top of that, we’re in a strange place with strangers.
So it was with reluctance that I talked with Paul at all – it was more out of politeness and the fact that he was a fellow firefighter that I talked. It was not long, and I could tell Paul was not there to gawk, ask probing questions, or make us uncomfortable. He was there to let us know that someone cared, would be praying for Ben and us, and was available if there was ANYTHING that we needed— just ask.
Paul did a great job just reassuring us that we were loved and we’d be taken care of. After some talking with just him and me, we quickly found that we had a few bonds already— both being men of the Christian faith and that he had worked many years ago on the department in Ventura County, California— likely with my wife’s dad, when my wife Joan came out of Ben’s room sometime later, and the conversation continued. We knew we had a friend in our corner.
Paul would show up every so often and see Ben and pray for him. Many of those times we would not see him, we just knew he had visited by seeing his card many times. And other times we would see him and spend some time talking.
Again, Paul just let us know he was there and cared. That was a BIG deal for us, that he did not ask the probing questions about the prognosis, etc., something we just could not talk about. He was gentle in his care. We are not the type that asks for things. But at one point, I was just overwhelmed with stuff, and Paul happened to be there and asked if there was anything he could do. I asked him to find us an additional car seat at a thrift store for our granddaughter, as transferring the one seat we had from car-to-car several times a day was just becoming an ordeal. I expected him to come back a day or two later with one. He came back in an hour with a brand new pink car seat for her. It was very special and made her day because it was so pretty.
Paul invited my wife and me out to dinner with his wife, Terri. It was a great opportunity to honestly share our hearts of grief, fear, and hurt with people we knew were “safe”. They both cared, and our hearts bonded even more.
After Ben’s brain doctor suggested it would be a good idea to reintegrate Ben into a firehouse atmosphere, I told Paul of this idea. Paul was all over that, and in no time, he not only secured permission from those in command at SMFR, but he also took Ben in the evenings & weekends to visit the local firehouse on many occasions. This act alone changed Ben’s outlook BIG TIME and was a huge boost to his morale.
Ben was all over the idea of getting back to a firehouse. Sadly, Ben was transferred to an independent living center in Omaha, Nebraska, before the volunteer plan could really be put into place. When Ben’s wife told Ben she wanted a divorce, Paul made sure that he connected with Ben and took him out to talk.
I could go on and on with the numerous times Paul has been there for us— either helping with something or just being there quietly in the background. But I hope you get the picture here… Paul Russell’s sacrificial service to our family helped us in countless ways. He is a Godsend to us. I’m grateful for someone in this role. We now have friends for life with Paul and Terri. And as I write this on Saturday, March 24, 2018, Paul has driven over 7 hours from Denver to Omaha to be with Ben this weekend. WHO does THAT ?! An angel does that. And a VERY good friend.
All the best to you and Godspeed— Sincerely —- Jeff Schultz
