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When Life Changes with One Phone Call | Episode 510 · Voices for Voices®

• 0:01
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Hi everyone, it's Justin here, Voices for Voices.
• 0:04
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Thank you for joining us on this episode of the show.
• 0:08
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: We're grateful to have you with us, uh, watching, listening, United States across the world.
• 0:14
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: We're sending our support and our love to each and every one of you uh for making uh the show what it is and continues to be.
• 0:24
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Uh it's uh it's kind of like uh uh as far as this episode goes, uh it's gonna talk about uh you know being caring and compassionate towards human beings.
• 0:43
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Okay.
• 0:44
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Uh many of you followers, listeners, viewers, uh have seen uh we just finished uh a few episodes ago, uh a special celebration episode of Don Mattis Jr.
• 1:02
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: having uh surpassed 40 years of sobriety and uh being drugless and and and and not doing drugs.
• 1:18
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: And that was a joyous occasion.
• 1:21
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Uh the mayor ended up coming uh giving Don a proclamation for just being uh really a an inspiration to a lot a lot of people.
• 1:37
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Um one of those is me.
• 1:40
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Uh I've only I've only gone through gone on nine years uh uh of of that.
• 1:48
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Um and and so for you know 40 years of anything, again, we've talked about how difficult that is of 40 years of anything.
• 1:57
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: I'm 44 years old, so it's uh it really hits home.
• 2:01
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: It's like, oh my gosh, like when I was four, Don started his his journey of sobriety and uh without without drugs, and uh and so it's a little bit bittersweet this uh this this episode uh because it's about uh Don Mattis Jr.
• 2:24
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: He is um he's currently at the uh at the hospital as a um basically the way that it was explained uh to to me, I'm a non-medical person.
• 2:41
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: So and same with Don and his uh his great friend Monica.
• 2:47
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: The the heart pumps blood, right?
• 2:50
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: And I think we a lot of us may have known maybe that part.
• 2:56
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Uh and then there's a number, and and so there's a number that correlates to how much blood gets pumped from the heart to other areas of the body, right?
• 3:07
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Like our arms, our legs, our our brain, uh, our toes, our fingers, you know, you name it.
• 3:16
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: And the number that was floated uh from doctors and nurses is uh 50 to 60.
• 3:28
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: So not on a scale of 100, okay.
• 3:30
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: So 50 to 60 is what would be considered what what the medical staff would be considered uh like okay, this is within range, right?
• 3:42
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: You hear these things like your uh your vitamin D levels are within range, and we hear the these words within range, so we know nothing to worry about.
• 3:55
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Well, his Don's number is at 10.
• 4:01
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: And and so that prompted, and uh this this episode is is for inspiration, uh, and and just talking about life in general, right?
• 4:13
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: So we we we talk about you know the the things that we do know we're we were born, we live, and then we we pass away and hopefully make it to heaven uh quickly uh or at all.
• 4:32
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: And so this is a real a real test of a person's will.
• 4:39
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: And the last couple of days uh I've spent significant time with with with Don uh at the at the hospital, and and so the medical team's don't look you know the best thing uh the best thing that they that that they know, right?
• 5:00
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Uh so he's at this number 10 that should be in between you know around 50 or 60.
• 5:07
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: And that's not the only part.
• 5:11
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: The other part is that the heart rate is up.
• 5:16
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: So you know, the beats per minute.
• 5:18
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Uh so it's it's been it jumps all over, it's been jumping all over, uh you know, 140, 150, 90, 110, 120.
• 5:31
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: So needless to say, uh any any thoughts, um, and just you know, again, we're talking about human beings here.
• 5:43
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Uh you know, if this was somebody that you knew, here we go, Lucy.
• 5:47
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Yep, you want to make uh make an appearance, I know that's okay.
• 5:53
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Here we are.
• 5:55
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Uh okay, Lucy.
• 6:00
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Daddy's doing a show.
• 6:03
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Thank you, thank you.
• 6:04
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Yeah, okay.
• 6:04
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Let's go over here by the guitar.
• 6:07
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Thank you so much.
• 6:09
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Thank you so much.
• 6:12
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: And uh, so the heart rates uh the the the number of the ejection of the the blood from the heart is very low, and so that's it's it it it it's uh it's it's a it's a tough time.
• 6:30
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: So the medical staff's doing what that they do.
• 6:33
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Um and so I uh I don't know the all the ins and outs of why, but I I spent two to three hours the last couple days uh visiting him with with with Don in his in his room and just talking and uh and it and and just about life in general and how you know it's one thing you know we talk about uh but then it when it actually like is is happening.
• 7:10
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Uh he didn't have really any indicator, uh you know, like you didn't go from 60 to 50 to 40, and then like you know, these symptoms popped up.
• 7:22
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: It was just all of a sudden it's at 10.
• 7:27
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Um and so I just you know wanna you know as a as if anybody out there prays or has a higher power, uh not just for Don, but anybody that's going going through anything that's difficult, doesn't matter what it is, uh life is precious, we talk about it, and a lot of times it's not until these times or these days that it really kind of rears its ugly head.
• 8:05
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Um and with having my dad gone through what he went through and and and passing and and heaven now um I guess one wouldn't maybe think that I first off, I don't I don't like hospitals on light needles, I don't like it so the just the whole thought of being in in that atmosphere and then you know kind of you know as as I as I park and as I you know go through an emergency room and go to these different areas and like go here and then turn left.
• 8:46
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Uh you know, because some of these hospitals are so gigantic, it's just hard uh to navigate and seeing you know cancer treatment and then and things that I was seeing at a different hospital than my dad um had his treatment and and and such with, but nonetheless, I'll I'll just say that like it visiting is the it.
• 9:20
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: So the visiting with Don being the it and Monica has brought me a little sense of peace in my in my I guess my mind, my brain.
• 9:38
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: And it's not because I think I'm holier than thou and I'm this great person, it's not that it's I spend a lot of time and we do spend a lot of time in voices for voices, right?
• 9:51
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: We have you know over 500 episodes and uh all the work that we're doing and things uh uh are are coming down the chute and um like the laundry chute, just ch u te.
• 10:08
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Uh spend a lot of time focusing on those those things, and sometimes it's it's me and and I think where the piece is of this particular experience with with Don is I feel at I f I felt at peace just sitting and talking with with with him and Monica and uh just about life and uh and it's not about me.
• 10:53
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: I mean I like I said I've spent two to three hours the last couple days.
• 11:00
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Like I didn't I didn't plan on that, it just it just happened.
• 11:05
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: I I don't know what the plan was.
• 11:08
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: I I just didn't know that it was gonna be that long.
• 11:12
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: But we were just talking and I keeping somebody company like my dad and my mom, you know, how they uh you know kept me company and you know some of the lowest points that I can remember.
• 11:29
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Uh I feel just like just being there uh is it takes to focus off me, it takes to focus off the organization.
• 11:47
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Like, yeah, still the same person, uh that's still the same leader of voices for voices.
• 11:56
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: I like none of that changes, but just on like a right, we have these these goals and these things that we want to accomplish, and and then you know, we you know we hear some news about a a friend, and they might have a lot of family around.
• 12:14
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: And one of my biggest fears is I I guess of me being or anybody being alone in uh in in a hospital room, and and so that's really one of the big reasons why I've been willing to spend some time with with Don.
• 12:43
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: And it's I just want to say to everybody that you know it's it's okay to take time and focus on um others.
• 12:58
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Uh there is always gonna be that that time, right, when we focus on ourselves, and I you know it it just comes down to being a human being, and as we we we talk about and so Don, he's just a human being.
• 13:21
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: I'm just a human being, Monica's just a human being, we're all just human beings.
• 13:26
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: And and so when things kind of turn in a direction that uh doesn't seem great on the face, you know, that's you you just look at the situation or you you read a diagnosis or uh what the plan is uh uh to do.
• 13:54
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Uh it's it's very humbling and I I just enjoy like just sitting now.
• 14:11
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Like the younger me, no way.
• 14:13
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: I wouldn't I I it I mean the stuff's still it uh all medical stuff and all that, it's still I I I don't I don't like it.
• 14:23
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: I don't like being around again needles and all you know talking about you know these decisions and listen just listening, just being you know, kind of like a support person, just kind of sitting there, you know, and on the side and as you know, they they check vitals and they do this and they do that.
• 14:45
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Um I just want to say it's really just it's humbled me, and that's probably one of the one of the reasons why I've done it uh the last couple days and have been willing to like that that I mean the time does pass, but I it it it doesn't feel like it's been you know two hours or three hours.
• 15:14
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Like I get up to go and I'm like, oh wow but then I think well I'm not the one here that it's is gonna you know I'm I'm not the patient at this at this point for this particular thing that we're talking about now.
• 15:37
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: And and so for for Don, I mean to go through everything he has, he he's been him and Monica have been uh well I mean really from the beginning of Voices for Voices, I didn't I didn't meet I met Monica at a uh it was like uh you know one of these Chamber of Commerce business luncheons.
• 16:02
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: So I think that was in year two of Voices for Voices, like as we were getting off the ground.
• 16:13
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: So they I didn't know them at our first event, our first gala that we had, uh where we had, I think, whatever, 10 speakers, you know, some in person, some on Zoom, and and all the music and just just a beautiful event, you know, during you know, COVID was uh really top of mind at that point.
• 16:36
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Um, so it was I think it was in that next year, but since I've met Don and Monica, I mean, we don't talk every day, like it's something like that.
• 16:51
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: It just whenever there's things like this to go on, it's like I if I'm able to, I I at least want to spend some time sitting with with somebody because again, we don't none of us knows you know how long we're we're gonna be left not saying left, but uh that we're gonna be living on on earth, you know, whatever form you know in our you know growing up and you know, young adult or teenager, then young adult, and then adult, and then the you know the the years just they just fly by.
• 17:33
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Excuse me.
• 17:34
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: And so when you're actually like watching somebody that is being faced with uh you know tough news, you know, I I look at it now more humbly than I would have ever before.
• 17:59
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: And in just being there, like I mean there's time that passes by, like a nurse will come in, do vitals and do their thing, and and then you know, just the the regular hospital things of you know, checking vitals.
• 18:21
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: I think that I said check and vital, so I said that twice, three times.
• 18:24
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Who cares?
• 18:25
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Nobody's counting.
• 18:26
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: We're all human, I'm human, um we all make errors.
• 18:31
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Uh and and so I just wanted to to share that with our viewers, our listeners.
• 18:38
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Uh, we we've done we've done a few shows with with Don.
• 18:43
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Like I said, the most recent one was the 40 years of being sober and drug-free.
• 18:51
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Um we're we're trying to we we didn't have a ton of time that day, so I wasn't able to get get us uh connected with the the mayor and Don at the same time.
• 19:06
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: So we're we're we're looking to do that.
• 19:09
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Uh uh, we went Don to uh obviously pull through what what's what's happening now.
• 19:17
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Um so that's kind of like an aside uh that we'll we'll do that as as time tells.
• 19:27
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Uh and we've also done a couple of other episodes.
• 19:35
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: We did a a studio episode, and then we did one way, way, way, way, way back.
• 19:42
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: I think it's in less than a hundred, so right, we have over 500 shows, so I I don't I don't have those numbers.
• 19:51
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: I uh I should.
• 19:54
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: And I mean I could pull them up now and get get them, but all you gotta do is type in Don Mattis, M-A-T-I-S.
• 20:03
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Um, and yeah, he's he's got the purple beard, he's got the jester hat, and uh one of the most holy people that I met.
• 20:18
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: So I again I'm I went as I have the last two days uh to meet and just be there for him.
• 20:28
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: He he he's the one that is is uh working through these challenges and he has him and my head Monica's been you know uh running down the list and bringing things that that Don needs and you know they have the they bring holy water and then they have the holy water from somewhere in Venezuela, I don't know this city.
• 21:06
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Monica was telling me the the story about it, but it's like extra I say like extra special but as I was getting up to go like leave because I I was there and then Monica's in and and then I realized what time it was.
• 21:23
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: I was like I gotta I gotta get I gotta get home with family and and uh Don goes here and I'm like no no that's the that that's the Venezuela uh you know miracle holy water that it's blessed.
• 21:43
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: And and again, I'm a believer, you don't have to be.
• 21:47
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Uh so when I'm talking about this, if you want, you can fast forward, that's okay, you're not gonna offend me.
• 21:53
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: Uh but on their the hell traditional disappointment.
• 22:00
  Voices for Voices, Justin Alan Hayes: you know just mentally and you know to have have somebody have a visitor and I left with whole holy water from where this miracle took place when and uh and and then uh Don and Monica had traveled there and I I forget how many gallons he said they uh they brought home you know probably whatever the maximum amount uh that they that they could and I mean a gesture like that uh not a gesture like I said earlier it does it like a gesture so this is the G E S T U R E so for somebody facing some unknowns and to say hey take take this we have we have plenty at home i i was blown away uh and i i still am of how generous somebody can can can be and you know as they're bearing their cross they're just going through you know some unknowns and so I just wanted to share this on this episode uh a lot of humbleness grateful for things that um that I have that that you know a lot of us humans we we we have and we overlook uh and I I guess I would just say that if you have a chance whether it's if you're not into the hospital on the medical thing maybe it's maybe just visiting a friend or a somebody in a family just to sit and talk to have no no agenda like I didn't have an agenda when I was I mean I wanted to meet and sit with Don and and that but as far as anything else so what like I didn't have agenda I I wasn't going there to get something and I don't know maybe that's why I got the this uh this specific holy water from Venezuela it's blessed and and everything and uh it and right everybody's time's precious I I understand even if that's spending just a little bit more time with family or you know any number of things I just wanted to share this is something that you know what uh well one of our our our guests and again anytime I've you know I've talked about you know we I traveled to Ukraine um but and so I I said hey you was asking you know some you know getting a prayer and thoughts and and that you know before that that trip that we took that mission trip and again they Don and Monica they did have just been there again that this isn't a daily contact type of person type of thing I mean it might have been like four or five months since I heard from them when I I got the invitation to Don's uh 40th um anniversary of being sober and and drug free and then I was like oh yeah like this is right in our wheelhouse and and we wanna we want to share that so we did so that's how we did that episode uh so I hope you were able to take a little bit from from this uh this this show uh this is a little bit disjointing because you know talking about a lot of different things but as you know I and we talk about different topics and and they kind of uh you know the tangents kind of come up and and we talk about them so thank you for watching thank you for listening uh if you could give us a thumbs up like follow subscribe share repost uh maybe uh reach out to 25 contacts and in your phone share voices for voices and our our podcast you can find anywhere we find podcasts uh we would greatly appreciate that on our journey to reaching and helping at least three billion people over the course of my lifetime and beyond so thank you for being with us we're sending love and support your way again you don't have to be a believer uh to uh be a part of the voices for voices family uh we we're all unique and and we're all uh we're all special and and we all have uh talents no matter what no matter what anybody says anybody thinks uh and and so this organization this show is for everybody so have a great day and we will talk to you and you'll either watch us and so you'll see us or you'll listen to us on a uh another episode of the Voices for Voices TV show and podcast thank you so much for joining us we'll talk to you and see you very very very soon bye bye for now