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Trigger warning: This story may be difficult for some.
Every now and then, someone comes into your life that has such a profound impact. They don’t intend to, they’re just themselves. One such lady was Clarissa Glen-Norman.
I met this beautiful lady last Christmas. I actually gifted her and her family tickets to Santa’s Wonderland, an iconic Christmas spectacular held in the lead-up to Christmas in Adelaide each year.
You see, Clarissa is the mum of 7 kids. Seven. Her youngest is 18 months. She’s in love with a just as wonderful man, Brian. And so in love. And to say she was grateful for this Christmas experience with her family was an understatement.
So we head to Santa’s Wonderland and arrange to meet up. She was so grateful that I had gifted her the tickets and wanted to personally thank me. She’d brought 4 of her kids for the adventure, and wanted to introduce them to me.
Baby Brian Jr was just 12 months old then, and what a cutie. She also brought We had the most amazing day. I packed up a few bags of ‘surprises’ for her family and we enjoyed the day together.
We love getting our Xmas photos when at Santa’s Wonderland. The photos come out so amazing (and fun!) Check out the pic we had when ‘social distancing’ was in force. So fun!
I can’t help but love that snapshot of where your family’s at with such a happy focus.
So I booked in for our Santa pic and asked Clarissa if she’d like one too. My shout. She said she was ok, but i knew she was being polite. I insisted.
And boy, I’m so glad I did. The picture was perfect, and it was their first with 12-month-old son Brian Jr. Such a happy family time with her daughter Ariyana (16), Baby-Brian Jnr (2) , Siena (14), Chloe (16).
Tragedy unfolded at home
That was six months ago.
Sadly, Clarissa had a massive heart attack on Monday night at her Munno Para home.
There were no warning signs … it was just like any other night. Clarissa was lying in bed with her partner Brian and their 18-month-old son Brian Jr. It was time for him to go to bed, so Brian went to put the baby down and return.
Not more than 5 minutes later, Brian returned to their bedroom to find Clarissa non-responsive out on the bedroom floor.
He quickly tried to rouse her, confused by what had happened. At first, he thought she was pranking him, but very quickly realised this was no joke when she wouldn’t respond. So he reached for a pulse and, in desperation, started CPR in an attempt to bring her back. Meanwhile, he got emergency services on the phone and sent for an ambulance to help save his wife. Brian was able to get Clarissa’s pulse back, and then emergency services arrived.
I can’t begin to imagine the franticness that he faced.
By the time the ambulance arrived, Clarissa had been without oxygen for around 40 minutes.
40 minutes since he last saw her alive.
The medical team rushed her to hospital and she was then moved directly into intensive care. Doctors quickly worked to try and stabilise the 38-year-old Adelaide mum of 7 and opted to place her into an induced coma.
She’d been without oxygen for up to 40 minutes.
40 long minutes.
The ambulance took between 15-20 minutes to arrive. That in itself would have been heartwrenching for poor Brian to deal with. We know how time stands still in these moments.
We’re still waiting on confirmation on the reason for the ambulance delay.
Tragic Announcement
The first I knew of this was from a Facebook post that Brian had posted, seeking our prayers, as Clarissa “is in an induced coma and her brain is badly damaged.”
My heart sank. What happened?
Could she get better? How bad is this?
The next day, I learnt more about what had actually happened and how long she had to go without oxygen. And how she now has severe brain damage as a result of the lack of oxygen. Some brain cells start dying less than 5 minutes after their oxygen supply disappears. Oh my heart.
My heart sank again. What if?
Then I thought about Brian. They were so in love. She loved him so deeply and spoke about him so wonderfully. What about him? Broken. My heart.
Heartbreaking Decision
It was soon evident that due to the 40 or so minutes that Clarissa had been unconscious, the lack of oxygen to her brain had resulted in some serious brain damage.
On Friday, Brian and his family had to make the gut-wrenching decision to turn off her life support. But not before Clarissa donated her organs, so that, in turn, she could help others with a fresh chance at life.
Bless you Clarissa, may your legacy live on in the lives of those you have saved through organ donation.
And their 7 kids. I can’t begin to understand what they must be feeling. I can’t fathom the feelings, and I can’t stop crying.
Clarissa faced a huge battle with Endometriosis, so falling pregnant with Baby Brian was a true blessing. An IVF baby, he was Clarissa and Brian’s everything, and now he’s just 18 months old. And then this.
We always say it won’t happen to me. It’s always someone else. Until now.
I reached out to Brian. He was lost. Heartbroken (as you would expect). Nobody prepares for this.
My heart breaks for you Brian. I can’t begin to imagine how hard this is for you on so many levels.
Please take some time for you and your kids and let’s hope we can help you buy some time. It’s time to grieve, be with your family, and your support network and start to work out the way forward.
And I hope we can help you get through this. With family in WA, I bet it’s been tough. So right now, we just want you to know you’re not alone, and we’re right behind you.
One important ask
Brian’s sister Jessica has set up a GoFundMe with the aim of supporting Brian and his family of 7 children so that he has some breathing space before having to go back to work. He’s currently about to start planning Clarissa’s funeral, which in itself just feels so heartbreakingly difficult.
Their mother, the woman who was their everything, is gone. Brian, too, is grappling with the immense loss, trying to be strong for their 7 children while dealing with his own grief. So I hope we can help you do this with extra time and support, all without the pressure you’d expect.
If you’d like to contribute to Clarissa’s GoFundMe, you can do so here.
Clarissa, I’m going to miss your beautiful energy. You made such a profound impact on our family, and I’m so blessed that our paths crossed. I’ll treasure our Xmas memories.
Shine bright, beautiful lady.
