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January 2005
01/23/2005 - Phil Barnett
 Just wanted to let you know that Phil Barnett passed away early this morning around 4:00 a.m. Phil is married to Terry's sister Rita.

Two months ago he went in for a triple bi-pass and done great with that surgery. However, he coded two days after the surgery and had to be intubated.

Phil was having a difficult time with Rehab because he couldn't stand up. After many tests were completed, and weeks of time (passed)they finally found that not only did he have the neck damage to 3 vertebras but he had 4 vertebras in his back that were damaged so bad that without surgery he would not walk.

After the Surgeon told Phil that he had to have the surgery or be in a wheelchair he made the decision to go forth and have it. He was very upset about this surgery. It's almost like he knew what would happen. The surgeon told Phil that he was one of the worst cases he had ever had. After the surgeon completed the front of his body he was turned over to complete the back and he did fine. However, the second the surgeon cut into his neck a GUSH of blood came pouring out. Phil lost a tremendous amount of blood. The surgeon ordered more blood than what was in the OR stat. By the time Phil received the blood 9 minutes had passed without oxygen to his brain.

The doctors told Rita that 4 mintues without oxygen is the"cutoff" they use to determine profound brain damage. Phil was put on life support and every machine imaginable, and tubes and medication were all working to support his body. Phil started having seizures and convulsions (another sign of brain damage) and his blood pressure bottomed out and his heart rate was incredibly irratic, he had a fever, his kidneys were shutting down .... you name it.

After a difficult decison it was decided to stop life support and Wednesday morning the machines and tubes and all medication (except Morphine) was discontinued. INCREDIBLY AND AMAZING Phil got better everyday!! No kidding! His kidneys were gushing out urine and his blood pressure was perfectly normal. His heart started beating normally and he had no fever. He was picture perfect healthy. Phil didn't die Wednesday or Thursday and Rita and Phil's entire family became exhausted. Friday Phil continued to improve, every vital sign was excellent. Saturday the doctors told Rita they had no explanation, they'd never seen this before. Their son Michael flew in from Hawaii (he's in the military) Saturday afternoon. I picked Tommy (their other son) up from the Airport about 1:00 a.m. Saturday night and drove him to the hospital. By this time his breathing had slowed a little but his body was great. Phil continued to snore like he was sleeping and I was told he looked like he was sound asleep.

I took Tommy to the hospital straight from the Airport. It was so sad to watch him make the long walk down the hall to Phil's room. He asked for privacy to be with his dad, and took the opportunity to say all the things a grown son can say to a dying father I guess. Tommy took it very hard and spent about 30 minutes alone with Phil. He came out and told me he was ready to go and I went and told Rita and Phil's family that I wished them the best.

We were getting ready to leave when a thought popped in my head (it was Hannah) and as much as I didn't want to I was propelled to go see Phil and tell him bye. I went in and no one went in with me! I sat in the chair next to his bed and was absolutely amazed at how GOOD he looked! Wow! I expected him to look like my Hannie did at the end of her life, but he looked great. His hand was warm, his face was NORMAL, and he looked just like Phil. I sat in the chair next to his bed and looked everywhere except at him. The chair I was sitting in was tall so my feet were dangling and couldn't touch the floor. I felt like I was in the principals office in trouble or something. After a minute or two I took the plunge and told him that no one knew or could understand what he was waiting for but that it was time. I told him now that Tommy was here he should "go and find the light". I told him to give Hannah a great big hug for me and to watch over her in heaven. Then I told Hannah that I knew she was watching this and I thanked her for "coming to me". I told her to tell her Uncle Phil that it was alright and to come up to heaven with her ... I told her to put her angel wings on and to smile that huge beautiful smile of hers and to assure him of how beautiful it was where he was going. A few seconds later his breathing stopped ... only for a few seconds but it stopped!!

I started crying and thanked Hannah and ran out of that room, and as I got to the hallway I heard Phil gasp. I didn't tell anyone because it wasn't the time or the place. I just knew I wanted to get out of there ...

Tommy and I finally left around 2:30 a.m. and Phil died peacefully in his sleep around 4:00 a.m.

Phil Barnett was the biggest jokester in this world. He lived to make others laugh and the name of the game for him in this life was fun! He teased Brian and Lisa when they were little and it took them awhile to understand that he was only joking. They loved their Uncle Phil. When Hannah was born, shortly after Terry's mother died, it gave him great pleasure to break up the seriousness by once again having a little one to tease and joke with. Hannah loved and adored him. Lisa spent the summers going to Cardinal's games with Uncle Phil. With Phil there were never any "rules" ... only to have fun. Once when Lisa came home from a baseball game with him I smelled beer on her. The next time I seen Phil I asked him and he told me, "I bought two cups of beer, intending to drink both, I could only drink one so I put the other one next to Lisa on the bench. It wasn't my fault she picked it up and drank it!"

My kids always called him Uncle "Pill" because he was just that ... a Pill. My children will miss him greatly and Hannah will smile much wider because now he is with her.

Phil owned and operated the business - Barnett's Termite and Pest Control out of Granite City. The arrangements are .... Tuesday for the wake and Wednesday for the funeral. The services will be held at Sakas' funeral home on Pontoon Road (used to be Thomas' Mortuary). I think Rita is still deciding on times so when I find out if you'd like me to let you know just email me back and I'll let you know.

Love, Cindi