It's been another very long day. Pop's condition is unchanged, but several other families with loved ones at the Highland ICU are really feeling the pain. A 40ish year old husband named Tom who has been extremely supportive of the Toppings is preparing for the imminent death of his 40 year wife Carol after her chemo-therapy treatments turned to infection, general decline, and finally septic shock which has ravaged her body and her family. Tom is a regular in the ICU waiting room and has been incredibly supportive of us from the first day we were there. Carol's general system failure and expected death has been extremely hard on his family. God bless Tom and his loved ones.

I am getting home very, very late after waiting to give a wife and daughter of a very poor family from Russia a ride to the far side of the city. They are in the United States alone and have no means for transportation or support, and Tom and other regulars in the ICU waiting room have been attending to their transportation needs. Now it's my turn to give. I feel numb after being exposed to the impending loss experienced by these people and the fear from the possible loss from within our own family. I'm hopeful for Dad's recovery, but accepting of what may lie ahead after seeing the pain and desperation shared by these families and the grace they exhibited when dealing with the loss of their loved ones. I hope that god will spare us from this pain.