A Wonderful Man...

Many of you know this couple and many of you do not. This is Bishop Rick Campbell and his wife Becky. They are my dear friend Shannon's parents. A few weeks ago I got a call from Shannon who has just recently moved to Idaho. She casually told me that her father had been hospitalized that morning and that her mom was going to call her with more details. She was casual about it because apparently he had been hospitalized before. A few hours later she called and immediately said, "can you pick me up at the airport tonight?" The doctors had sedated her dad because he needed to be on a ventilator. A few hours later she arrived and stayed for 2 and a half weeks. Her father fought a hard fight for 11 days in the hospital with an almost constant vigile around him. I was one of the privileged ones who was able to go into his room in the ICU and visit. I thought that I was prepared to see the tubes and him lying there. I found out the minute I walked in the door that I was not. It was not the tubes and the monitors that got me, it was the robotic breathing that the ventilator caused. It was such a reminder that he was fighting to live. Most of you that know me know that it is not often that I am rendered speechless...this was one of those few moments in my life. I really don't think I have ever experienced anything so difficult in my life. And...I am only the friend of his daughter. I can imagine that the family felt that feeling multiplied over a thousand times during those 11 days. I can't imagine what they have had to go through. He received many priesthood blessings that gave everyone much hope. In one blessing there was a demand that his body heal itself and that his organs be mended. In the end this blessing did come true, Rick Campbell passed away in the middle of the night after almost a two week battle for his life. He was only in his early 50's. His body was healed, only not in the way that we all had hoped. In the days before he passed away, the doctors told the family that he could hear them and they all courageously said goodbye to him and told him that it was ok if he needed to go. They told him that they would be ok. After attending his funeral services I believe that they are. I can't explain what a wonderful example this family has been to all of us around them. They held strong knowing that their family is forever and they will see their husband and father again. I visited with my friend Shannon before she had to head back up to Idaho and her mother had just spoken with the doctor. Just to back up for a second the entire time he was hospitalized the doctors could never determine what was wrong with his body. He had pneumonia and his lungs did not clear the whole time he was there. Unfortunately though they just could not find the root cause. They treated him for everything that they could think of and he just could not get better. Shannon and I spoke several times about this and she continuously said she felt like she was in an episode of House. She said that she never realized just how realistic that show might be. Anyway, a few days before he passed away they did a biopsy (I think that is what it is called) of his lung. They tested it to see what they could find. When I was visiting with them this week Shannon's mother told us that the doctor said the tests were "inconclusive" and they will probably never know what caused all of this. Once again the family said they are at peace with everything and that's ok that they do not know. The doctor told Becky that they had never seen anything like the family and friends reactions before. The calm and peace during such a difficult time with a loved on was nothing that they had experienced before. He told her that he loved doing into Mr. Campbells room because of the love and peace that he felt there. It's just such a testimony to faith, priesthood and FOREVER FAMILIES. The doctors and nurses felt the spirit just exuding from this silent man and his family!! The faith that they have that has gotten them through this extremely difficult time in their life is just so amazing to me. Rick Campbell was a husband, a father, a Bishop, a beloved seminary teacher and many more things to SO many people. I did not know him very well, but I have shared some special moments with him. It might not seem like it when I tell you what they were, but it always makes me smile. When I used to go to playgroup in Moreno Valley I would often drop by Arby's or Wendy's on my way there. I can't tell you how many times I would run into Bishop Campbell sitting in his Vertex truck in the parking lot eating a hamburger. He would always tell me, "this is our secret, you can NEVER tell my wife about this." He would often take me into his big bear hug at church and remind me that I was never to tell and we would laugh about it. Now this man was 6'6 and 300 lbs and he was known for his bear hugs. So just that I got a few of those from him makes me smile and think of him fondly.
At his service his son read the eulogy that Becky had written. And it was so much more than that. It was his life story and it was so engaging. It was so amazing to hear what a wonderful person he was. We got to hear about how much he loved his wife and truly what a love story their life together was. It made me want to strive to have what they had with my husband.
At his service it was said more than once that he was a man who always "made you feel like YOU were his favorite." I have thought about that SO many times since Friday and thought, "wow" there really is no better way to describe who he was than that statement. I really don't know if I have ever known a person who could make everyone around them feel like they were their absolute favorite person on earth. The family and the community has truly lost a magnificent person and I feel so lucky to have known him, if only a little while...

My strong and faithful friend Shannon