We went to a place we had both heard about that is close to one of the funeral homes that she works at in Northeast(or “Nordeast” as they say here in the Twin Cities) Minneapolis:Erte`. As luck would have it, she also had a coupon for two entrees for one. We had 10 ounce New York sirloins that were lovingly grilled and prepared, accompanied by an Australian Cabernet Sauvignon.( Along with swimmers, rugby players and beer, Australia really does produce some fantastic wines) It was a nice and relaxing meal.
After the meal, since it was such a pleasant evening in Minneapolis, my wife suggested that we go for a stroll down by the Stone Arch Bridge in Downtown Minneapolis. While going for our walk, we were able to get a nice view of the new 35-W bridge. It is really hard to believe that tomorrow will mark a year since the 35-W Bridge collapsed in a heap in the Mississippi river, taking the lives of 13 people, and changing many, many lives in the Twin Cities. 35W Bridge collapse:
Moving forward one year later (From Kare11.com website)
It was the bridge that was supposed to be strong and dependable. But on August 1, 2007, it was the bridge that failed.
Now, one year later, it’s the people - the survivors and relatives of victims - who are showing incredible strength.
“You need to talk about it so you can start healing,” says Helen Hausmann, who lost her husband Peter in the bridge collapse.
In all, 13 lives were lost that day and hundreds of lives were altered. Yet, somehow, the youngest life was spared.
The youngest survivor Tina Hickman was eight months pregnant and sitting on the north end of the 35W Bridge when it collapsed.
Her car fell about 30 feet and suffered severe head trauma. She landed in a spot that allowed firefighters to quickly reach her and pull her from the car. Rescuers quickly realized Tina was pregnant and rushed her to Hennepin County Medical Center. She was the second bridge victim to arrive there.
Minutes after arriving at the hospital, the baby’s heart rate dropped.
“If they hadn’t delivered him when they did, I don’t think he would’ve made it,” Tina says.
Doctors delivered Jackson James Hickman about an hour after the collapse. He was a healthy baby boy - six pounds, six ounces.
“Had he not been born when he was, he wouldn’t have made it and our life would just be missing the huge-est part,” Tina says while kissing Jackson.
Tina can’t remember the first month of Jackson’s life because her injuries left her in a coma for several days. That was a difficult time for her husband Ben.
But things are much better today. Tina’s health is now 99 percent, she says. Life has gradually returned to normal.
“It’s just become more of the life that I expected to have,” Tina says.
Jackson now weighs about 26 pounds. His first birthday is around the corner, and even though it falls on August 1, a dark day in Minnesota history, Jackson’s parents want to make it a celebration of life. They’ll also throw a huge party for him on August 2.
“While we plan on letting him know what happened the day he was born - it’s not a secret or anything - we’ve really chosen not to dwell on the difficulties of that day,” Tina says.
Mourning a life lost Few know those difficulties better than Helen Hausmann. August 1 is the day she lost her husband, Peter.
“My household, all of us, we feel like he left yesterday,” Helen says.
A year is certainly not enough time to close the wounds.
“Knowing that there’s nobody going to greet you the way you’ve been greeted over the years,” she says. “No hug at the door, no kiss goodbye.”
The hardest part, Helen says, is making decisions alone, especially because she’s now raising four children by herself.
Her last conversation with Peter was around 6 p.m. on August 1st. He called her while sitting in a traffic jam in downtown Minneapolis. Peter ended every conversation by saying, “I love you.” But this conversation ended abruptly.
“I tried [calling back] ten seconds later, no answer, no answer,” Helen recalls. “A minute became an hour, no answer. I realized something is very wrong.”
Helen searched hospital after hospital for her husband. She thought maybe he hit his head and didn’t know where he was.
But after five days with no sign of Peter, she knew the outcome would not be good.
“I had to say, ‘Well, wherever he is, I hope he’s not suffering,’” she says.
Divers found his body in the wreckage nine days after the collapse. It appeared he was trying to rescue a small child, possibly 22-month-old Hana Sahal, who also died.
“That’s the kind-of person Peter was,” Helen says.
Helen still spends many hours by the bonfire Peter used to light each night, sitting in the bench they used to share.
“I do stop and stand still and remember,” she says. “And I can hear him talking to me.”
He tells her that anger is the darkest thing she can put in her heart. He tells her, as hard as it might be, to stay strong.
“I do hear him encouraging me when I want to just sit still and cry,” she says.
“Cry while you’re moving forward,” he tells her. “And that’s what I’m doing.”
Helen and her family will go to the Basilica on August 1, then join other bridge families on the Stone Arch Bridge for private reflection. They recently returned from a trip to Kenya, which is where Helen and Peter met.
By Joe Fryer, KARE 11 News
(Copyright 2008 by KARE 11. All Rights Reserved.)
All Material Copyright 2008 KARE-11. All Rights Reserved.
My wife and I also talked about just how close SHE came to being on that bridge. She figures that she was about 5 minutes away from being on the bridge when it went down.
It never ceases to amaze me about the little things that can have such a profound impact in our lives.
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