Don and David: A story of Buddies
By David Yarbrough
Hi, I’m David Yarbrough and I am a hospital chaplain in Fort Worth, Texas. I’ve been serving in this capacity for a little over 3 years. Just last October I had the pleasure of meeting Don. He was a strong 84-year-old and we connected immediately. Don, in his words, had never been sick a day in his life, but was now diagnosed with Leukemia. He was hospitalized for about 4 weeks the first go around and about 6 weeks the second round in January and February of this year. Don was glad to see me every single time I stopped by. Over the months we became close friends. I met his family as well and we all became friends. Fast forward to March and because of Covid 19, all chaplains were barred from the hospital. Don and I resorted to phone calls, but as the weeks came and went, Don’s health continued to diminish. In June the doctors told him he only had a couple of months to live and there was not much they could do for him. He was resigned, but still had a great attitude regarding the end of his life. The nurses told me that he was their favorite patient. He really was special. I had the opportunity to talk with Don about Heaven and how great it was going to be. One day he said, “You know David, I sure hope I am going; I have had some hard times.” I stepped up to the plate, so to speak, after he made that comment and said “Don, I just have one question, have you ever done anything in your life that is bigger than what Jesus did on the cross for the whole world”? His response was priceless, “Well David, when you put it like that, I guess not”. Perfect answer. About a month later I got a call from his son Gary and he said “David, Dad is soaring with the angels today. He got his wings last night about 2:00 A.M.” Gary and I celebrated his dad’s life that morning. A day or so later, Gary called and asked if I would perform the funeral service for his dad. What an honor to be included in this way. My wife, Karen, and I got to spend some important and memorable time with the family, and I got to speak about Don’s life and legacy. At the end of the service, I told Gary and his wife Karen, “Now that you guys have invited me into your world, you can’t get rid of me that easy. I will be in touch.” Now Karen and I have new friendships all because of a few visits to the hospital and several phone calls. It is a blessing to serve through Lifeline. I am eagerly looking forward to my next visits, once restrictions are lifted.