Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Dead in the Family, Part 4

Today's excerpt from the Dead in the Family features an interview with the "Utleys" (not their real name) Jeff and Rachael. Unlike the parents interviewed in the previous segments, the Utleys have taken their zombie son Joshua back in. They have two older boys, Albert and Paul.

How did your son die?

Jeff: Joshua died in an accident at summer camp. He died in a fall from a tree.

Did he become a zombie immediately?

Jeff: He came back a little over two days after his death.

That must have been difficult, waiting to see if he would return.

Rachael: It was awful. They wouldn't release his body from the hospital.

Jeff: Five days. They will wait five days now. The longest until rising is five days.

How did they notify you?

Rachael: A doctor came to the waiting room to tell me.

You were at the hospital?

Rachael: One of us was there the entire time they held him there. Jeff had just left to check on the boys.

What was going through your mind when the doctor told you? Were you happy?

Rachael: Overjoyed!

Really?

Rachael: Of course I was.

What did you think when you saw him?

Rachael: (tearing) All I could think was how lucky I was that I was able to tell my son how much I loved him again, so that was what I did.

Did he look any differently to you?

Jeff: (handing tissues to his wife) Of course he did. He couldn't talk, and he could barely walk. It was like the left side of his body had been paralysed at first. He didn't blink. And he had terrible wounds on his chest and abdomen. (Smiles). But who cares how he looked? Or that he was slow? He was back, that was all that mattered.

Rachael: He was smiling again in two months.

Jeff: Two months! Some differently biotic kids are lucky if they are expressing themselves within a year after their deaths.

So you didn't have any reservations about taking Joshua back in? No question about whether he was really your son?

Jeff: (waves hand) None whatsoever. Look, I'm not going to say it wasn't difficult. But the difficulties we had to deal with were societal--many of our neighbors were not thrilled about Joshua coming home. As though we were supposed to turn him out of our home just because he was different!

Rachael: It was hard seeing him that way. It was hard knowing that he was going to have a much different...time with things now that he was dead. He would get frustrated. He missed his friends, many of whom were forbidden to play with him now. And I'd watch him as he watched his brothers playing basketball in the driveway. They would include him, but it wasn't the same. He used to be quite the player.

Jeff: But to answer your initial question--what I think you were questioning, anyhow--there was no question that he was our son. I've read everything that's come out on the topic and I really have to wonder what is going on in the heads of parents who deny their children when they become differently biotic. It really makes me wonder about people in general.

I'll post more of the interview with the Utleys in a few days.

33 comments:

edwardandtommylover said...

this is great tommy finally good news if only the other paretns could be like this! its about time we had good news!

~brooke

Kelly said...

finally!!! at least one family they interviewed took in their kid!! how bad would it be i they only interviewed people that didnt??

Kelly said...

sry i didnt mean to say bad......i meant to say AWEFUL!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

:) im glad there arent all homicidle parents out there

Gabrielle said...

Okay, I like this family :)

Anonymous said...

Good People. Good people indeed.
:)



_paige_

Paris said...

It makes me happy to hear that this family was reunited. I'm a sucker for happy endings.
-Paris

Stuck_in_the_world_of_the_Living said...

Reading this made me cry(tears of joy). That is so amazing that she got to tell her son how much she loved him. Most people don't get a second chance. I wasn't there when my Jojo(grandma) died and I really wish I could have said more to her.

l!zz.(: said...

finally, one family that's grateful for there son coming back. this is the best interview so far! thanks tommy. (:
lovelovelove,
elizabeth. <3

Vegasaurus said...

Best Interview posted thus far!


A sign that there are still a few parents out there that would absolutly adore it if their child came back to them after death. :D

Krystal said...

That's inspiring. And now maybe after seeing this, other families will begin to realize...

Well, at least it was a nice break from all that depressing stuff.

Evernight87 said...

It made me teary eyed, im just so exremally happy to hear that Joshuas parents have their own mind, that they dont listen to what other think. They are right, That is their son, and they love him, you can see it in what they say =)

blackwhitenese said...

well its good to see that there are people who are willing to have an open mind (and home) to their differently biotic kids. its crazy how some of the other parents were, i mean isnt a minimaly reposnsive body better than a picture on the wall even if u dont belive its your child inside?

Anonymous said...

this is wonderful!

Yazzeh said...

That's made my day! It's nice to know that there are more of us that are lucky =]
I still really want to help the ones who aren't as lucky though.

Werewolf Moon said...

OH Thank gosh! Ugh i was getting all depressed and what not. Whew i relieved, an accepting family. I can't wait for the second one.

Becca the Rainbow Monster said...

I think they should become teachers, and ever parent with a post-death kid should take classes from them. and if tehy fail teh class, they get taxed. (or something.)

Anonymous said...

oh, that is so sweet! stories like that just make me feel so happy inside, (though my friends would say it's just because i'm always happy, even at like 6:30 in the morning on mondays), but I really love endings like that, and people who can think that way and have faith that their child coming back was truly a gift from God. I know I'd feel that way!
love always to everyone everywhere!
<3 Tara
(except for that evil lady Mrs.Smith and that first couple. they're pure evil.) Luv ya!

Anonymous said...

It's great to know that there are still some intelligent parents left!
These people are a great inspiration, and I hope others follow in their foot steps. I want to say what they did was exceptional, but is just doing what's right exceptional now?

-Sona the Hatter

Glee Rewatch Project said...

That's amazing Tommy! Long time reader first time responder. I think this is an amazing thing your doing.
(One of my good friend's recently became living impaired. He's staying with my family now because his dad...)
Anyways! Dorian really loves your blog.
I'm so happy that this family still accepts their son. If only all familys were like that.
<3 Bec

RSoxy said...

now THAT is a family

TentenShunai said...

I'm so happy. So they stayed there to wait for him???? THATS SO COOL!!!!! Finally a set of parents who care. If only everyone was like them. I'm so happy for him.

Taylin said...

awwww thats awsome!! the best story yet cuz it has a happy ending =) (not that the son died, but that the family and parents were so ready to accept their son)

Anonymous said...

This family seems to have the right attitude! Thank goodness someone does. this program is good, because as well as presenting all the different views, in myt opinion it made it seem like those who saw the return to life as a negative thing bad.
The support his parents give him probably helps him. I wonder if he reads your blog? Or if the other one does? I got the impression one of them is dead forever but i would hate for the person who was abandoned to find out what his parents were saying.

lzz said...

It is about time there is a family who wants to have their child back. They sound just like Faith when you came back. I hope the family the best, especially Joshua!!

beccaomg said...

best interveiw ever! i am so happy that finally there is a happy family

Doublehelix said...

Much better news than the last two!

Anonymous said...

about time some parents really did what they are supposed to and were truly accepting. I wish them the best of luck (:

Bianca Wilde said...

yey!
Finally- A semi-happy ending!
<333
love,
-Bee!

Tommy Williams said...

Hope Night-

tell your friend he is always welcome here. He might want to check out the new virtual Haunted House, too.

T.

Vanessa Jeans said...

At least this family doesn't care how their son looked or if he died or not. They only care that they have him back and thats more then we can say about some people (:

converseluv321 said...

wow i really liked this post finally a happy ending.it sounds like there r three different kinds of parents
the kind that wont take in their child
the kind that wont take their child in and hate them (maybe even kill them) and
the loving kind that would love them even if their hearts werent beating
thanx tommy :]

Anonymous said...

Those parents rock, I have a space in my heart for people like that. It makes the world seem alittle brighter. Thank you for posting it, Tommy.


-KayKat