Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Michael Black, a missing Wyoming man, was found via KSL-TV and reunited with his wife.
- Shortly after returning home, Black fell ill with influenza and passed away.
SALT LAKE CITY — A Wyoming man who was reunited with his wife after being missing for three days has passed away after becoming sick on Thursday.
Michael Black, of Afton, Wyoming, suffered from dementia and hitchhiked over 200 miles to Salt Lake City. It wasn't until Thanksgiving his wife, Avril Black, 77, spotted him on a KSL-TV segment, allowing them to reunite the next day.
However, shortly after getting home, Avril Black said her 91-year-old husband became sick with a cough that turned out to be influenza.
"And I thought, 'Hey, this isn't good,'" Avril Black said. "The nurses said he could go home, but he wasn't going to get better. He had problems with his heart and his kidneys."
Michael Black had other health challenges, according to his wife, including a history of cancer that led to his hand right hand being amputated. "He was in pain. His body was tired, really tired," she said.
Nevertheless, Avril Black said her husbands's spirit didn't waiver.
"You know, he was laughing and joking with the nurses; he said, 'We'll I'll get better,'" Avril Black said.
Michael Black was placed on hospice care and released from the hospital Thursday, just one week after being reunited with his sweetheart.
"All the way home, we told each other we loved each other. We went through all the good times we had together," Avril Black said. "I said, 'You're going to fight this, aren't you?' and he said, 'Yes, I'll fight it.'"
"We held hands, and we said our goodbyes, but I didn't think it would be goodbye because I was laughing with him," Avril Black continued. "And I said to him, 'You know if you do pass on, you better send me the lotto numbers!' and he started laughing. That's our British sense of humor, you know."
Shortly after getting home, Avril Black said her husband had passed away.
"He just collapsed in the room," she said. "I feel knackered, absolutely knackered."
While Avril Black is worn down, she can't help feeling grateful for the miracle that brought her husband home, including the many people who helped him and the life of happy memories they shared.
"If you had not shown that on the TV and I hadn't put it on. He wouldn't have gone in peace. Maybe he would've fallen in a ditch somewhere," she said. "It was his time, it was his time, and he had an adventure, and he enjoyed his little adventure. That's life, I guess. Maybe he's in a better place."
Avril and Michael Black were married for 47 years. A family friend started a GoFundMe* to help cover Michael Black's funeral costs.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
