Alive! with Pastor Patina Ripkey
Life Changing Testimonies with Pastor Patina Ripkey and special guests.
Alive! with Pastor Patina Ripkey
Garrett Mendelson (From Painkillers to Praise Band: One Man's Journey of Faith)
Once a talented baseball player whose dreams were shattered by four knee surgeries, Garrett found himself battling painkiller addiction while navigating his parents' divorce. Though he occasionally attended church and considered himself a Christian, he later realized he was merely religious without having a genuine relationship with Jesus.
So welcome to Alive. I'm so glad that you guys have joined me today. I have the privilege of interviewing someone from my church and he is a member of the Praise Band. He plays the drums very well, I might add to Kaylee, our director of Children and Family Ministries at the church. He also has three beautiful daughters. He is a girl dad, totally, 100%, and they are all absolutely adorable, and he is a lieutenant in the Florida Fish and Wildlife. So it's pretty exciting and I will say this, I feel like I have watched him grow in his faith tremendously since I've been here. So I want to welcome today to Alive Garrett Mendelsohn. So welcome, thank you. Are you like super excited and not nervous at all?
Garrett Mendelson:Yes, okay, good, just a little.
Patina Ripkey:A little nervous. So, to kind of break the ice a little bit, you on occasion visit our preschool right In your like role as Fish and Wildlife, and so I heard that you brought an alligator, and then I heard that you caught the alligator. Yes, that morning.
Garrett Mendelson:That's my go-to for when you have a bunch of kids. When you talk about what you do, it just kills the time and everybody wants to hold it Well, most people, yeah.
Patina Ripkey:I want to get to how you caught it. Do you have a trap or do you get in the water?
Garrett Mendelson:No, I don't get in the water. It's a fishing pole with a certain type of hook on it and you basically catch the gator out of the water. Sometimes, you're lucky, they're already on land If they're on land.
Patina Ripkey:What do you do?
Garrett Mendelson:We have catch poles which basically you can hold the gator down.
Patina Ripkey:Oh, then you put it around their neck or something, or what do you?
Garrett Mendelson:do Basically.
Patina Ripkey:And there's a way you could mouth closed. But yeah, practice, it's our crocodile hunter, right? Except they're not crocs. But no, I think that's really cool. I love that. I remember talking to you one day and you said that you know all the greatest places to go and kind of where to hang out and be quiet with God.
Garrett Mendelson:Yeah, it's nice, oh yeah.
Patina Ripkey:I need to get those places from you. You'll probably see me there if I get that. But so we've kind of passed or crossed paths for a while in discussing your life and you said, you know, maybe I want to share my story, and we talked about it and then it kind of went away, and not because we weren't open to it. But you got busy, I got busy, and then it just wasn't like priority. Then it came back again, busy, I got busy, and then it just wasn't like priority. Then it came back again and then finally we're like let's do this thing. I think you were the last one to like I'm ready. I take that as like God is saying do this right now. So I'm real excited that you're here and you do have a compelling story and I want you to begin, if you would, because I like to give people a background of what your childhood was like so they understand where you are and how far you've come.
Garrett Mendelson:Right. So I grew up in Oviedo. I had a good life, you know, grew up in a neighborhood, played baseball since I was four years old, had a lot of friends in the neighborhood, a lot of friends at school, and literally probably most weekends, most weeks, I was playing baseball through elementary school into middle school, all the way through high school. So, yeah, I grew up we never went to church, we never really talked about God. It just wasn't a part of our life. My dad is Jewish background and my mom was a, was a Catholic, and when they both got married it's actually interesting I never really knew my mom's parents due to that marriage. And so, yeah, that was my mom's parents.
Patina Ripkey:Wait, you never knew your mom's parents because they weren't happy that right wow, did they like completely stop talking to her? Basically yes so you still don't, you still you know, no, wow, okay, that's super interesting, right and we were close with my grandparents on my dad's side um were they practicing Jews? Did they practice their faith? No, okay, were they Jews by like their nationality? Or yes, pretty much Okay. Where did they live? Did they live around here too?
Garrett Mendelson:My grandma lived in Boca. My grandfather died when I was pretty young, okay, but they both lived down there, yeah, so your father was Jewish, but he did not practice his faith.
Patina Ripkey:Your mother was Catholic. Did she practice her? So yeah, so your father was Jewish, but he did not practice his faith. Your mother was Catholic. Did she practice her? So okay, so, neither one of them. So you knew they had a religious background, but you never went to church or anything like that the only thing I remember growing up is my grandma would.
Garrett Mendelson:She would mention God and that was about it. But I would see my friends going to church. A lot of people go to church. Talk about it. I was scared to go to church because I've never been.
Patina Ripkey:I mean, that's a really good lesson, isn't it?
Garrett Mendelson:Yeah.
Patina Ripkey:Like to know that people are actually scared to go to church because it's foreign and unknown. It is a weird thing to go. I don't just want to walk in and what's going to happen and something crazy. And there's a lot of things that you can see online or hear, so, depending on the church, so that's really interesting. So you played baseball. You also said when I was talking to you earlier that you kind of had two separate lives a little bit.
Garrett Mendelson:I did. When I was in middle school I got into music and I played guitar and I had like two different groups of friends. I had my sports friends and then I had the group of friends where we were in a band. Basically growing up, my mom said if you're going to be in a band, we'll have the drum set here so you guys can play at our house which thinking back now that's kind of insane to be all the noise at the house. But probably just so she could make sure I'm okay.
Patina Ripkey:Absolutely.
Garrett Mendelson:We would just come to the house and we had a cover band where we would just play like screamo music.
Patina Ripkey:Did you play out or did you just at your house play?
Garrett Mendelson:We played at our house. We played at like the eighth grade barbecue. We played at, I think, winter Springs High School one time. That's awesome yeah.
Patina Ripkey:No, so you had baseball and you had music. Those were kind of your go-to. You said that your dad was like all into your baseball and was there at every.
Garrett Mendelson:My dad coached me when I was younger and then, as I got older, we played on travel teams and he was just very involved.
Patina Ripkey:Yeah, so what happened to baseball? So what happened to baseball?
Garrett Mendelson:So when I was in high school freshman, sophomore year, sometime early in high school I started getting injured and I was with the. You know I played competitively my whole life. I was like to think I was pretty good, but I just kept getting injured. Basically, I never really played a full season because I had four knee surgeries. So through those knee surgeries and everything, I realized that I'm not going to be able to play sports anymore.
Patina Ripkey:Yeah, so that was kind of your dream.
Garrett Mendelson:Did you want to be a professional player? Yeah, that was my first dream, for sure.
Patina Ripkey:So when you went through the surgeries, what were the surgeries? They were like reconstructed or torn.
Garrett Mendelson:I tore my ACL. I had that repaired. I dislocated my kneecap and broke it. That was the most painful one. Oh yeah, basically it was like overcompensating. So it was two on each knee. Wow, I would come back and try to go back to baseball too soon and then I hurt the other side.
Patina Ripkey:Oh yeah. So then you said that because of that you got addicted to painkillers.
Garrett Mendelson:Right, Yep. I was prescribed heavy and high dose of painkillers for a long time and then became reliant on it and it was like the perfect storm. My parents when I was in high school got divorced, so I was no longer playing baseball and then relying on painkillers.
Patina Ripkey:Wow, so your parents get divorced. You have all these surgeries. Your dream dies. You're hooked on painkillers. Yes, wow, that's a lot. And then you still have your band Right, but the band is kind of.
Garrett Mendelson:Yeah, they've gone their own separate way as well, and a few of them just. We just lost touch and never really hung out anymore, and I basically just quit music at that point.
Patina Ripkey:So tell me what it's like to be in a situation where the doctor has prescribed you medicine that's very strong. I mean that you just continue taking because you're like this is what you do when you have surgery. When did you know that you were dependent on them?
Garrett Mendelson:When I started looking elsewhere besides what I was being prescribed. Oh, my goodness yeah that's when you realize you have a problem.
Patina Ripkey:So you went to the doctor. You would run out and you're like I've got to get. So what was the? Because I don't know the feeling. What is the feeling Like, are you scared that you're going to hurt or be in pain, or you know what were you looking for?
Garrett Mendelson:Honestly, I don't even know. Eventually, your body just becomes physically dependent on it and that's really. You just try to take the medicine so you feel normal. Yeah, normal.
Patina Ripkey:Yeah, so how long of a period of time would you say you were actually addicted or dependent upon? Several years, was it really? I mean, I look at you now and go. There's no way.
Garrett Mendelson:Yeah, and it was very interesting. I was able to like, maintain like my normal life through it as well. I went to college. I'm very blessed where I'm at now.
Patina Ripkey:Yes, you probably recognize it in people. Yes, yes, when did you break free what happened?
Garrett Mendelson:I knew what I wanted to do for a job and I knew what was right and I saw the path with some other people. What happens if you go down that road and honestly, I have good parents that, basically, you know, made me as well.
Patina Ripkey:Did you go to like rehab or something?
Garrett Mendelson:No, I never actually went to rehab. You know, I saw, talked to someone, went to a different doctor and therapist and all that stuff.
Patina Ripkey:Do you think that if you hadn't suffered so much through your parents' divorce, losing your dreams, losing your friends even, that you would have been as inclined to take the medication for that period of time?
Garrett Mendelson:I don't know. Honestly, I'm not sure. I feel like, yeah, I'm not totally sure.
Patina Ripkey:Yeah, but that's an interesting thing that it can. A lot of people can continue living their lives doing all the stuff.
Garrett Mendelson:Yeah, it was a functioning.
Patina Ripkey:Yeah, functioning. And then you're like I think it's really good, because you said that your passion was baseball, but you obviously had another passion.
Garrett Mendelson:Right yeah. Which was the outdoors, and Yep, excuse me All through high school. Yeah, that was definitely my goal when I went to college, knowing that's what I wanted to do. Yeah, that was definitely my goal, and I went to college knowing that's what I wanted to do.
Patina Ripkey:I love that. So how? And Florida too. It's like so nasty in the summer. Side note do you get bit by mosquitoes all the time or do they hate you? I?
Garrett Mendelson:do, do you? Actually? Funny story Yesterday in the fellowship hall, while we were eating, I had a tick curling on my arm and I used one of the knives because you have to cut it in half, yeah.
Patina Ripkey:You're like I've been outside all day.
Garrett Mendelson:Yes, so that happens a lot. That's funny.
Patina Ripkey:Wow. So how in the world did you I know you, I don't know when you married Kaylee in the whole?
Garrett Mendelson:So I've known Kaylee since fifth grade but I always tell her I thought I was too cool for her. She was like the perfect girl, never did anything wrong, and you know, just like somebody that I knew where I was at in life and it wouldn't have worked out then. So it definitely worked out when it was supposed to.
Patina Ripkey:Yeah, that's really cool Cause I love Kaylee. She's so smart, so good at what she does.
Garrett Mendelson:And then we started like dating. Once I got out of the academy cause, we spent seven months in Tallahassee. Okay, Once I got back, I knew I was ready to. You know, I have a real, my real job. I knew I was ready to. You know, I have my real job, I have a career. I'm ready to settle down fully.
Patina Ripkey:Aw. So how in the world did you end up in church?
Garrett Mendelson:So my first initial bring to church was a girlfriend I had in high school. Her family went to actually the Carillon Church, okay, and I would just go there. That was my first you know time ever going to church and I would just go and listen and basically that was my like introduction into Jesus and God and and you know Christianity and what the church is. So I was, I was starting to pray through when I was having issues with you know, my dependency on painkillers, and I thought I had a relationship with God. I thought I was a Christian. At that point I just felt like, now that I go to church, I'm a Christian. That was my mindset and everything will be okay.
Patina Ripkey:So yeah, no, I think that's a really, really great distinction, because I think there's a lot of people who go to church and think they're a Christian. We, I just had to talk about it. I talk about it all the time, you know, even in the Alpha course, because you can go to a Baptist church, a Methodist church, a Catholic church, you can go to a lot of different places and you can think you're a Christian. But if you don't have, if you've not surrendered your life to Christ, and you don't have the Holy Spirit it's about having the Holy Spirit then you're not a Christian, right, you're religious. Yeah.
Garrett Mendelson:Right, and that's what I ended up being. I would just identify like, yeah, I go to church. Yeah, I'm a Christian. Now I'm one of these people and I thought I was, and that's what's kind of funny. Even I distinctly remember Kaylee's dad asking me when I asked him to marry Kaylee. You know, he asked me that question like are you a Christian, are you going to raise your children that way? And I was like, yeah, like why would he even ask me that? And I always think back to that now and it's like I thought I was even then and then I didn't realize till later. You know, I wasn't there yet. I didn't really fully surrender myself and have a relationship with Jesus.
Patina Ripkey:I love the way that the Holy Spirit works. So I love this is why one of the reasons I love the Methodist tradition is that we believe that the grace of God draws us to repentance, so to the point where, like he's good to us, you know, until we turn, you know, and then we like finally, like, realize he's been there all along, and we call that provenient grace, the grace that goes before and draws us. And we call that provenient grace the grace that goes before and draws us. So, even though you weren't necessarily saved or converted or born again, whatever, you were having an experience where you were being drawn to that. So how did you finally surrender, or what happened?
Garrett Mendelson:I got really sick in I don't even remember exactly when, but several years back from COVID, and I remember being at work doing my normal thing and it was the first time ever. I looked at the person I was with and I was like I got to go home. And I went home and I'm like I'm really sick and Kaylee, you know, took the girls I think it was just May and Millie at the time took them to her mom's to stay and I was just laying there and I remember feeling like I was dying. My sister is in the medical field she's a nurse, anesthetist so I'm texting her asking her what I should do. And then I remember walking outside and I was wearing just shorts and no t-shirt and I called 911 because I was going to pass out. And then I actually have a security camera and I saw you see me like actually kind of pass out and lay down on the driveway.
Patina Ripkey:Oh, my goodness, and.
Garrett Mendelson:I went in the ambulance to the hospital and stayed there for 14 days and I was in a room that was about the size of a king size bed.
Patina Ripkey:The hospitals were really packed, weren't they?
Garrett Mendelson:Very packed. I was in a room like that. When they walked in they were wearing like the Ebola suits, like, and nobody knew anything or what to tell me.
Patina Ripkey:So, yeah, you know, it kind of transports me back to those days of how and I wasn't in the hospital but all of the things that were going on at that time, right. So there you are. Your family can't see you. Then no, you're just. Do you have your phone?
Garrett Mendelson:I had my phone and I was able to talk. You know people would reach out to me and nobody really knew what to say. And you know Kaylee kept being the one to talk to the nurses and doctors to try to figure out. And she also was sick herself, you know. But she didn't get to that point. And I remember a nurse walking in. It was like at midnight or something. She walked in. I was like day midnight or something. She walked in. I was like day 11 or 12. And she was like, if your oxygen doesn't get above 88%, you're going to go on a ventilator. And I was like, well, that's, you know, normally not a good thing. So I remember she said I had to lay on my stomach for what was it? 24 hours with the little heart monitor on me, and that was where my true relationship with Jesus began.
Patina Ripkey:I need Jesus now.
Garrett Mendelson:I mean, honestly, I didn't know what else to do and I realized all I had to do, and it was from there on I started paying attention to all of the blessings and all of the things that God is presenting in front of me in life, and it just went from there. That was my moment of like breaking down, and I remember Kaylee like she's just been that person, like she's been a Christian her whole life, she's had a relationship with Jesus and she was, you know, really really doing something for me then, like with what she was saying and what we would talk about.
Patina Ripkey:So you did, you go on a ventilator.
Garrett Mendelson:I did not. I laid on my stomach for 24 hours when I first started listening to worship music. There you go. That's what got you Wow.
Patina Ripkey:So you're listening to worship music. You're taking it all in, because worship music is like prayer. Right, it's like if you don't know what to pray, put on some praise. There was a song, wasn't there? A song you sent me? Oh no, I can't remember the name of it. I think it was like right after that time. It was so pretty. Now I'm derailing this, but I was wondering if it was one of the songs that you would listen to while you were laying there. So did you tell them that you weren't going to go on the ventilator?
Garrett Mendelson:Yeah, I basically said, no, I know that that's probably not the right thing to do. And they're basically saying, well, you're going to have to. And I'm like, well, this is weird. I'm in a hospital room. I really, you know I'm going to make my own decision, but I also want to do what they think I'm going to live. So it was a weird spot. I never went on it and I told them I didn't want to, because I just knew that wasn't the right answer.
Patina Ripkey:Yeah, and how many people went on a ventilator at that time?
Garrett Mendelson:A lot and never.
Patina Ripkey:Yeah, exactly, it's like. It's almost like you needed your lungs to be working on their own to get through it, and you were. I mean, you're so young, you're younger than you are now.
Garrett Mendelson:And that's what the doctors kept telling me and I was like oh, thank you guys. They're like well, this is an anomaly, typically someone like you, we're not in this situation. I'm like okay, thank you here we are, here we are.
Patina Ripkey:I'm like, okay, thank you, here we are, here we are. I'm not happy to be the anomaly on this one. Yeah, so you lay on your stomach for 24 hours, you start listening to worship music and then, after 24 hours, what happened?
Garrett Mendelson:It started to slowly go up. I started, I got above 88% and they ended up letting me go home when my oxygen, I think, was at 93%. I think normal is like 98 to 99. Okay, and you definitely don't want to stand up fast when you're in the 80s, like that's you can pass out, okay. So yeah, once I it was a slow process, I think it was 14 total days I went home, but it wasn't like I was going home healthy. Yeah, I went home, but it wasn't like I was going home healthy.
Garrett Mendelson:I went home. I remember walking to the end of the driveway to get the mail and I had to go back inside and sit down and it was frustrating because you know we have little kids that don't understand what that is Like. Dad can't play right now.
Patina Ripkey:Right.
Garrett Mendelson:Yeah, it was a process. I lost my voice completely.
Patina Ripkey:Yes, we were talking about that. So, just so everyone knows, when you I remember seeing you because we were all praying for you, you know, I mean we were just like how could this even be happening? So many weird things happened during that year, or whenever that was and you came walking into the fellowship hall and it was just like you know Garrett's here and you came over to me and I really didn't know you, I mean, I knew a little bit, but I really didn't know you and you, you had this raspy voice and said, do you need a drummer?
Patina Ripkey:And I was like, what you know, do you? And I said, uh, yes, do you play? I used to. And I was like, okay, you're in, you know you still need yeah. So did you make that decision to play?
Garrett Mendelson:because so it was a couple of weeks after I got home. I was doing better, but I still didn't have a voice. And we came to church on Sunday and it just happened to be a Sunday when there was no drummer. And I remember sitting there thinking you can't have, like, praise and worship and live other instruments and not have drums. It's, that's not the same. I was like I used to have a drum set, even though I played guitar. I'll just say I play drums and see if they need someone, and I just thought I'd fill in and I remember like, okay, I have a job that's, you know, takes a lot. It it's a crazy schedule. I'll just say I could maybe do once a month or possibly just try every other month. I remember saying that, yeah, and then I remember after playing it'd be like okay, I might be able to do once a month, I might be able to do twice a month. So it was just yeah.
Patina Ripkey:Well, you're an excellent drummer. And I say excellent because I mean there are so many reasons that I could say, but one of the reasons is because I can tell that you are feeling the music you know. And it's funny because I love, like, the psalms and they talk about the drums and the you know, all these rhythmic instruments being played, and I think you know in my simple mind that in heaven there's going to be some unbelievable drumming going on. Yeah, you know, I really really do. I don't, because the Bible's David was clear, you know, when he was writing. I mean, there's just something about the beat of a drum. So, yeah, I'm like always, I was thrilled and I, you know god works and he does work in mysterious ways. And it's fascinating to me that you played drums in high school. It probably, it was a good experience, but then it ended up like kind of leading you probably down well, that's what's interesting.
Garrett Mendelson:So when I stopped playing with the band and I had to stop listening to music really I had to stop listening to music I was listening to because it was not good for me. It just wasn't good music to begin with and yeah it was, and I was like, well, I guess I won't ever do that again pretty much mindset on it. So when I was able to fast forward to now and fall in love with you know, playing worship music on drums, it was like wow. I never thought that I would be able to enjoy music again.
Patina Ripkey:It's interesting the effect that music has, whether it's positive or negative, you know, and not that this is totally relevant to the discussion, but Lucifer had like, he was like a musical instrument, you know. So it can be good or bad, Right, and so it's great to use your gift and there's such great worship music now that it's I love it, right. So it's amazing Now. So you got through, you got back, you're in church now. You healed. Did you ever fully recover, by the way, from COVID or do you still have, like, the effects of it?
Garrett Mendelson:I'll have some random stuff here and there, but I've fully recovered. I remember going to a few doctors lung doctors and they put me through random tests and I was like I'm not going to do this anymore. I felt like I'm young and healthy and I was starting to get treated almost like a lab rat because there wasn't a lot of information on my age and what we're doing. So one of the doctors actually said that and that was when I decided okay, I'm going to stop doing that and move on.
Garrett Mendelson:Yeah, so I'm fully recovered. I will have some random like if I get sick, sometimes I'll feel it. I had pneumonia a couple of times.
Patina Ripkey:But do you get bronchitis pretty easily Okay.
Garrett Mendelson:I got pneumonia I think two times since COVID.
Patina Ripkey:Yeah, they say once you get it, it's easier to get yeah. So so that was that in 2020 or was that the beginning of 2021? Do you remember when that was?
Garrett Mendelson:I want to say it was 2020.
Patina Ripkey:Yeah.
Garrett Mendelson:No, it was 2021.
Patina Ripkey:Okay, Because your girls? I don't know how old they.
Garrett Mendelson:Yeah, I'm not, I don't really remember exactly.
Patina Ripkey:Because that was so you had. Then you end up having another baby and then, but when? So you had another massive event that happened in your life.
Garrett Mendelson:Yes.
Patina Ripkey:Which was your father-in-law?
Garrett Mendelson:Right, when was?
Patina Ripkey:that that was a couple years ago, wasn't it? Yes?
Garrett Mendelson:And it was between Christmas and New Year's and basically that year Kaylee's sister lives in North Carolina. That year they didn't come down for Christmas, so we spent Christmas with Kaylee's parents and after that we went up to the mountains of Georgia where my mom lived and they went to North Carolina to go see that side and do Christmas with them and they were eating lunch or dinner I think it was lunch in like South Carolina. They lived right on the border and we were actually driving home from my mom's. We had just hit the Florida line from Georgia and we got a phone call from Kaylee's sister that her dad wasn't conscious on the floor. They called 911. And he ended up dying and we had turned from right there and drove straight to North Carolina and that changed the course of our lives immensely, obviously. Yeah, unexpected at a restaurant.
Patina Ripkey:Yeah, and it's a. You can't ever plan for it, even when someone's been sick, but it's a shock to the brain and so it takes a long time to kind of move through the shock and then get into the grief. It's a weird process and then there you are. You're having Kaylee's always been a strong one, right? Did it change how you were as far as, like, your spiritual growth? Like, did you have to become?
Garrett Mendelson:Yeah, I basically did. I felt like I did, and she remained strong through the whole thing. But you know she had to grieve and had to figure that out for herself. So, yeah, I kind of felt the it was my turn to be the strong one this time.
Patina Ripkey:Yeah, because yes, oh, and for the whole family too, because the whole family was probably just, I know they were in a complete state of shock and uproar and it still affects. So it's been, has it been two or three years? Two. Yeah it's been two A little bit over two years now, so it takes a long time to move through that.
Garrett Mendelson:Oh yeah.
Patina Ripkey:You don't ever get over it Right. Long time to move through that. Oh yeah, you don't ever get over it Right, you know you. Just you learn how to kind of cope with it. So you went through that. So now you had, you know, covid, you recover from that. Then you have this situation with your father-in-law. What has happened the most recently that's changed your walk with God.
Garrett Mendelson:Most recently was this Christmas, this past Christmas. It was a normal Christmas and then all of a sudden, maggie, who was she's not two yet, she was young Kaylee, and this part of the story I just am so thankful for. So we are pretty hardcore with our children and make them take naps in their crib and for some reason, this one time Kaylee decided to lay Maggie down in the bed with her to take a nap. Before we went to go see my mom, I went into the kitchen and I was doing the dishes we're still in our pajamas and Kaylee just like yells my name. I could tell it was not the normal, like just trying to get my attention, something was wrong and I walked, ran into the room and I just see Maggie. She's holding Maggie up like Maggie and I'm looking at her. I'm like she's turning purple. She's not like. It looked like she was dead or dying familiar right, you're familiar.
Garrett Mendelson:Right. So through work, like I've seen, unfortunately, children drowned, I've seen, you know, I've been in. There was different accidents, there was drownings that I've been involved in, that not everybody gets to, and then the differences through work. You know it's my calling, I feel like my job and I'm able to do it and I'm able to be the person like somebody has to do it and you know it affects you, but you're able to work through at the moment and I remember looking at Maggie like I'm not going to be able to do this. I can't go into work mode right now. I'm her dad and I just grabbed her from Kaylee and I'm telling Kaylee call 911. That's all I remember is telling Kaylee to call 911 and then praying and because there's like nothing, like she wasn't, she didn't need CPR because every now and again she would be breathing, but it wasn't like a normal breathe. So I was just going in this cute loop running around outside.
Garrett Mendelson:I ran outside to like get fresh air you had her with you, I was holding Maggie just trying to like do everything through work that I was trained, that I knew to do. But it was a, it was a different experience. It felt like two hours, but it was five minutes from when Kaylee and she was freaking out herself. We had, you know, may and Millie there, and they're six, or at the time, six and four, six and five, yeah, and they were just processing it from that perspective, seeing us freaking out. We're trying to keep them calm, but we're also freaking out. Yes, oh, my goodness, the ambulance comes and she, you know, comes back too. And it was crazy because I was was a wreck and Kaylee went in the ambulance, went to the hospital and then I stayed at the house with the other girls until Kaylee's mom came so she could watch them, and I just remember Kaylee calling me and you can hear Maggie in the background sounding normal again. So I'm like what is going on? Like nobody knows what happened? Um, and so then we go to the hospital, the emergency room. She has a fever, and they're like, yeah, sometimes this happens, she's sick, and we're still freaking out, like we just had this event happen at the house. We thought she was dying and so we literally signed the papers to discharge from the emergency room and as Kaylee stands up so she could go, she had like throw up and everything all over her when she could go change. It just happened again and she just went limp again and I'm like this is not normal. So I'm yelling at the ER. The doctors come running in.
Garrett Mendelson:I remember the nurse, actually like the one who's supposed to be there, knowing what to do. I just remember her looking at us going oh no. And I remember the nurse actually like the one who's supposed to be there, knowing what to do. I just remember her looking at us going oh no. And I'm like no, you have got to be doing your job right now. Please don't say oh no. And I just started praying there again and I just knew it was going to be okay, like we were. She had her two seizures, you know where, like if she would have had it in her crib, who knows, she could have choked. I think there's a reason that Kaylee laid down with her on the bed. Yeah, I'm very thankful for that. And then the second one happening at the place where they were able to, while she was having a seizure, you know, run the fluids through her and put all the monitors on her that she was refusing before that.
Patina Ripkey:So did they find out what was wrong.
Garrett Mendelson:They did some testing and she went to the unit I forget what the unit's called, but anyways, they said it was due to her having a fever and the drastic change in temperature. It was due to her having a fever and the drastic change in temperature, so we got the news that it could never happen again, or it might happen several times again until she's six. Oh my goodness, and we're like OK, at least we know now what it is, because the first time we didn't know what was going on.
Patina Ripkey:So what did you learn about your faith and God in that circumstance?
Garrett Mendelson:I just learned that I like praying. Through everything, praying is the first thing to do, praying is what gets you through and trusting and just being there and praying is what I never used to do. I used to want to do it, which is funny, and now it's like my first go-to, and me and Kaylee talk about it all the time, like going through a lot of the things that we've gone through, like I don't know how people do it without Jesus, because it is a complete. You always have that joy and peace, even through everything, and I truly feel that now, yeah, and it's pretty amazing.
Patina Ripkey:I heard, years and years ago, a friend of mine when my husband and I were going through like a whole season of you know I've talked about it of no income and I was really stressing out and the guy who was a coach of our son's football team, I was telling him about it and he said, are you trusting God? And I was like, apparently not. You know, he goes if you're trusting God, just trust God. That's what he asks. Whatever the outcome, trust God. And so the whole year for me was learning how to do that, learning how to trust God. And it didn't come easily for me. It came through sleepless nights and getting up and opening my Bible and reading the Bible out loud and you know, you said this, you said that and I got to trust you in this Taking my Bible and falling asleep with it. You know it becomes like, not that, the, it's the word, it's God's life and it changes how you live your life and it sounds like that's what happened to you.
Garrett Mendelson:Definitely yeah.
Patina Ripkey:Which is fantastic, Like why does it take, why does it? Take all this, you know.
Garrett Mendelson:Yeah.
Patina Ripkey:But it it does. We have to learn to depend upon trusting god means depending upon god, um, and that's really hard for us to do, right? Um, I want to you you had something else really cool and I, before we wrap up today, um, that I don't want to forget to talk about, and that is your dad oh yeah let's talk a little bit about what happened with him.
Garrett Mendelson:Yeah, so I remember, you know I would pray and I would always have that one prayer like well, that's not going to happen, I don't think that would happen. You know, God just doesn't understand.
Patina Ripkey:And for your dad, right yeah?
Garrett Mendelson:For my dad, you know, to know him and to actually, you know, learn about it at the minimum and have a relationship, and so it's really awesome. We both got baptized together. Um, and when I, we golf, you know, pretty regularly, like once a month, and when I see him now he's, you know, with his friends at the same church a family friend of his and they just talk about the Bible and do Bible studies together and it's the coolest thing in the world to see because you know most, you picture it going the other way. You know the dad teaching the son that, so it's awesome. You know the dad teaching the son that, so it's awesome. And I'm just super proud that you know for him and happy for him because I've seen a huge change in him through this. Yeah, and it's just another miracle that you get to watch.
Patina Ripkey:Well, and does he attribute any of that to you and your life?
Garrett Mendelson:Yeah, and he has told me that and he has, you know, his close friend from back when we were younger as well, and he just now that's what we talk about and it's just cool. I love that, yeah.
Patina Ripkey:And that's recent. Like you guys got baptized about a year ago, didn't you? Yeah, yeah, that's phenomenal. I mean, I didn't want to forget that because you know that's a huge blessing. Oh yeah, you've had a lot of heartache, but you've had a lot of blessing too.
Garrett Mendelson:Yes, definitely.
Patina Ripkey:If you could look back on your younger self, what would you say to your younger self?
Garrett Mendelson:Just, I mean, the only thing missing in my life I remember when I was little was Jesus and was that peace and that like just being at peace, and I didn't have that. So there was always something missing. It didn't matter, you know, I got straight A's, it didn't matter, I was't have that. So there was always something missing. It didn't matter, you know, I got straight A's, it didn't matter, that was great at sports. There was always that when I would go to bed at night, piece missing, and I would just be like you just need to get it now and enjoy it while you're young, through your years. But I honestly wouldn't change anything because I'm the type of person I feel now Looking back. I honestly wouldn't change anything because I'm the type of person I feel now looking back, I needed to go through all that to get to where I am, otherwise I just wouldn't learn. I have to learn the hard way.
Patina Ripkey:Yeah right, yeah, same. Here you can look, I can look back now at my life and think about the things that I've gone through and go. You know, I needed that to happen. I mean honestly for me because my dad died when I was 24. I needed that to happen. I mean honestly for me because my dad died when I was 24.
Patina Ripkey:And so when I look back, I mean it took me a good while to see how it changed me and to see a positive side. I mean it's hard to say that but it's been many, many years. I mean he died in 1990, so it was a long time ago. But the shift for me happened when I he had been gone about 10 years and I remember I would always like for 10 years because I was really close to my dad, when something good happened or bad, I just wanted to call my dad, you know. And then one day I remember just thinking I need to talk to the Lord about this and it was like wait a minute, the Lord is my heavenly father. So it like switched in my mind. It was just crazy.
Garrett Mendelson:So you know, I can see now that you know God always wanted to be the one.
Patina Ripkey:So you, when you came to me and said you wanted to tell your story, just let's end on that, like, why did you want, why did you feel you wanted to tell your story?
Garrett Mendelson:Well, actually you know I got involved with the youth some and I remember going and sharing some of my story with the youth and then I've been doing a Bible study recently where it's the topic that we're talking about and I've always wanted to talk about. You know my story and my testimony could help someone else and you know how much it's benefited me to hear other people's story. So, you know, doing the Bible study and getting that nudge and your reminder to me just made me want to come here and share the news.
Patina Ripkey:I think that's perfect. And so in closing I'll say this that so we're doing the life's choices and from the book Life's Healing Choices and the last chapter, I'm closing out the whole series this week and the last chapter is wait, let me think of how they called it Recycling Our Pain, and I'm like that's a very interesting title, but it's what it's about. What he's saying is what we go through should become our story to others, and that is our gospel message. And I've always said you know all these people who say you have to have all these verses memorized and it's like no, tell what God did for you, right, and so this Sunday you're going to hear that. But that's what that is. The gospel message is sharing with others what Christ has done for you, and then you know who Christ, you can get into, who Jesus is, and all that.
Patina Ripkey:But you start with your story, yeah, so I really appreciate you.
Garrett Mendelson:Yeah, thank you for having me.
Patina Ripkey:Oh, my goodness, I hope this inspires other people to call me and go. Hey, I want to do that too. Yeah, so appreciate the time. Good having you today. Thanks.