LIHU‘E — Family continued to sit in vigil Sunday as they made the decision to take Sharon Pomroy off a respirator. As of 8:30 p.m., she was still clinging to life. Pomroy’s brother Paul Pomroy, and sister Onaona Maly, stayed
LIHU‘E — Family continued to sit in vigil Sunday as they made the decision to take Sharon Pomroy off a respirator. As of 8:30 p.m., she was still clinging to life.
Pomroy’s brother Paul Pomroy, and sister Onaona Maly, stayed by Sharon Pomroy’s bedside Sunday, in the ICU unit of Wilcox Memorial Hospital in Lihu‘e.
“We want to express our thanks to everybody who assisted in any way, and for showing so much loving compassion by visiting or making phone calls,” Paul Pomroy said.
Sharon Pomroy, 64, suffered a seizure followed by a massive heart attack Wednesday in Wailua, just after delivering her remarks as one of 11 candidates for Kaua‘i Trustee for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs in the November elections. Appearing at first to faint, friends of Pomroy expressed concern by the time responders arrived at the Aston Aloha Beach Hotel.
“She never regained consciousness,” Paul Pomroy said.
Sharon Pomroy’s heart stopped in the ambulance as paramedics worked to keep her alive, Paul Pomroy said. She has been on life-support since Wednesday night until it was turned off around midday Sunday without hope of recovery.
“She is continuing to breathe on her own,” Paul said at about 5 p.m. Sunday. “She is at peace but she is still alive.”
At around 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Maly said her sister was moved from ICU to the larger Room 406. The extended family of 18 nieces, nephews, grand nieces and nephews, were all together.
“We are here with her and she is still breathing comfortably and there are no changes right now,” Maly said at about 8:30 p.m.. “She looks so much at peace and we are talking story.”
Many family and friends came in and out, Maly said. There were many prayers and people were thanking Sharon Pomroy for all of the things she had done for them and how she had touched their lives, including the staff and children she worked with at Kapa‘a Intermediate School.
“I want to thank everyone so much for the outpouring of love and aloha,” Maly said. “All of the calls, visits and Facebook messages are so much appreciated.”
Maly said two “very dear friends” of Sharon, Lori and Kane Fitzgerald, were with her at the event when she collapsed. They went to her Anahola farm to take her two dogs, Henry and Bosco, to their home.
“They really miss Sharon,” Maly said. “One of the dogs wouldn’t even come out from under the house.”
Maly said the family wants to thank the Kaua‘i Fire Department for going above and beyond the call of duty in working to revive Sharon Pomroy for so long. She also said the staff of Wilcox Memorial Hospital have cared for her sister and checked in on the family often to see how they were doing
“They are taking such good care of us,” Maly said of the hospital’s staff. “I am so impressed by their wonderful service.”
Paul Pomroy said their father and grandfather both passed from heart failure at about the same age. Sharon Pomroy had health issues as well, but this was not expected, he said.
“We have a family history of heart attacks,” Paul Pomroy said. “What happened was not a surprise, but when it happened was not expected.”
Sharon Pomroy lived on her Anahola farm since 1985. She was born on O‘ahu in 1949, joined the Merchant Marines, and lived on the Mainland for a time before moving to Kaua‘i.
Maly is asking anyone with videos of Sharon to contact the family.
•Tom LaVenture, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or tlaventure@thegardenisland.com.
