Lehi Man’s Final Wish Interrupted As Family Gets Even Bigger Surprise
Mar 23, 2021, 11:27 PM
LEHI, Utah – Many of us have bucket lists we want to finish before we say our final goodbyes. A Lehi man put together his list, and on it was the opportunity to ride in an ambulance.
That wish was about to happen Tuesday afternoon, but the man’s family ended up having an even bigger surprise.
Things don’t often go as planned.
Josh Bergon could tell you all about the ups and downs of life.
Except difficulty speaking is just another thing he never planned on.
The ending of this story is one we never expected when we arrived at their Lehi home this afternoon. Neither did they. The family says they don’t know whether to laugh or cry, so tonight, they’re going to do both. @KSL5TV at 10. pic.twitter.com/OVLQAP0KWW
— Alex Cabrero (@KSL_AlexCabrero) March 24, 2021
“It tears my heart out,” said his mother, Justin Bergon.
She first noticed something was wrong with her son when he was only 10 years old.
But, she never planned on doctors telling her Josh Bergon had an abnormal tangle of blood vessels so deep in his brain that it was inoperable.
It’s a medical condition called arteriovenous malformation.
Doctors across the country told her it would get worse.
“It’s the biggest one they’ve ever seen,” Justin Bergon said while sitting on her son’s couch in his Lehi home. “I’ve spent 31 years trying to save his life.”
During that time, Josh Bergon, who is now in his 40s, got married, had two children, and his wife was pregnant with twins.
Tuesday was a big day for the family because Bergon, a former paramedic, was getting one of his final wishes fulfilled.
The Lehi Fire Department planned on giving him one last ride in an ambulance around his neighborhood.
“It really means a lot to have you guys here,” his wife Ruth Bergon said to the firefighter-paramedics when they arrived with gifts.
Only, her husband was too sick to go.
“He wanted to do this. I really wish we could’ve made it happen,” Bergon told the firefighters.
Instead, they offered Bergon and her children a quick ride.
Josh Bergon stayed behind in bed with his home hospice care team, who helped plan the big day.
“These are vulnerable moments for these patients, and the fact that I got to even be somewhat involved, it’s an honor, really,” said Kayla Busto, the Utah County volunteer hospice coordinator for Intermountain Healthcare Homecare & Hospice.
However, when his wife got back, she started going into labor and had to go to the hospital fast.
It was just another thing this family didn’t plan on happening on this particular day.
“Say goodbye to mom and the babies,” Josh’s mother said to their children as she left the house.
It was another unexpected day. However, the family is used to them.
They said they feel peace knowing that as one life is ending, two others are about to begin.
“I know he’s aware,” said Justin Bergon. “He might not be able to express it, but I know he’s aware.”
Late Tuesday evening, Ruth Bergon gave birth to those twins. Josh Bergon, because he is so sick right now, can’t be with her at the hospital.
Riding in the ambulance would’ve been a memorable experience, but being able to meet his twins would be even better.
The family is hoping he can hang on long enough to do that, and they’ve set up a GoFundMe page* to help with medical expenses.
*KSL TV does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
