The Jeff Journal

August 18,1971-October 7, 2008

Welcome to the website dedicated to the friends and family of Jeff Willhite. With permission from Jeff’s family, this site was originally established to keep everyone informed on Jeff’s sudden illness and progress.

The story: Jeff was having some difficulty breathing while at home Sunday evening, October 5, 2008. An ambulance was summoned and found Jeff is extreme respiratory distress. Jeff quit breathing on the way to Plymouth Hospital with Plymouth paramedics on board. CPR was initiated. Jeff was successfully resuscitated at Plymouth and then admitted to their CCU unit. After another cardiac arrest and successful resuscitation Monday morning, October 6 before 7 am, Jeff was transferred to St Joseph Regional Medical Center in South Bend.

Monday, October 6- as of this afternoon, Jeff is in the Intensive Care Unit-Room 342 at SJRMC-SB. His family learned today that Jeff is suffering from a bacterial infection that has damaged a heart valve. This caused Jeff’s inevitable heart failure and arrest. With a temperature of 106 degree farenheit, he is currently on high dose antibiotics as well as induced hypothermia to preserve his metabolism and his brain. He is also in a drug induced coma and on a ventilator to help his body work on recovery and fighting the infection.

Tuesday, October 7- Conversation with Lee (Jeff’s brother) this morning-Doctors tried dialysis last night to help Jeff fight the infection and restore some kidney function. However, his blood pressure dropped too low both times they tried. No major changes during the night, but no improvement, either. Jeff will have an EEG today to evaluate brain function-due to the multiple cardiac arrests and the family will be making decisions from there.

Jeff had the EEG around 5:30 pm Tuesday evening. After several hours of waiting for results, the family learned that the EEG showed no brain activity. Knowing that the life he had would no longer be, as Jeff would have wanted, the family made the difficult decision to remove him from life support. On Tuesday, October 7, 2008 around 11:15 pm, the world lost some of it’s brightness as Jeff left this earth. All of our lives will forever be changed. Anyone who knew Jeff knows that he will always be a part of each of us, having touched everyone he came into contact with along life’s pathway. God rest his soul.

ARRANGEMENTS: Services for Jeff will begin with viewing and visitation with the family on Monday, October 13 from 4-8 pm at the Culver Academies Chapel. A celebration of Jeff’s life will begin at 11 am on Tuesday, October 14, also at the Culver Academies Chapel. . Funeral procession will follow services, with burial at Culver Masonic Cemetery. A reception for family and friends will be held at the Legion Memorial Building on the Culver Military Academy campus following burial.

Emergency Services Department vehicles that wish to participate are welcome, and are asked to report by 9:30 am on Tuesday if they are planning to be in the procession. Bonine-Odom Funeral Home, Culver, is in charge of arrangements.

Jeff has been very active in several emergency service departments over his life time. A Basic EMT and member of Culver Union Township EMS since 1991, Jeff also worked for Tri County Ambulance Service in Nappanee in the past, as well as Mishawaka Fire Department and Plymouth Police Department as a dispatcher. Jeff was currently also employed as a security officer for Culver Military Academy and the Culver Lake Patrol. In between all of his other commitments, Jeff also found time to help out at his brother Lee’s business in downtown Culver at Gladie’s Deli.

Email thoughts, prayers, concerns can be sent to Jeff’s family at: getwelljeff@culcom.net

If you have a story about Jeff or picture you would like to share, you can send that to the same address and we will add that information to the guestbook. This website will be maintained for friends and family.