Betty Belluz Hoekstra's journey back home

In an instant, life, as we know it, can drastically change. On 07/25/21 our mother, Betty Belluz Hoekstra suffered a significant hemorrhagic stroke. We are all just devastated by this and our hearts are broken by this tragedy. As most of you know, Betty and her husband, John, live in Canada from June-September. Betty currently is in the hospital in Canada. The stroke has caused damage and she now has neurological deficits as a result. In addition, Betty has been diagnosed with Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (the cause of her stroke) and there is so much uncertainty as we look at the days ahead. Her husband John and her 3 daughters are dedicated to provide the highest functioning quality of life for her no matter what. This is considered a progressive illness with added risks of recurrent strokes that will cause more neurological deficits over time. The stroke team who is caring for her has informed us that she is not stable enough to be transported back home to California unless she travels by air ambulance with a well experienced flight crew. Betty's insurance will not cover the cost of travel back to the USA. The cost of this service is $43,000 which is expected to be paid in full before this can be arranged. The other option is to transport her to the nearest US designated stroke center which is in Duluth Minnesota for intense rehab for up to 3 months. These are the only 2 options we have been given. Her husband John and our family can not cover the cost of this on our own, so we have set up this page so that her friends and family and generous donors who would like to help get her back home can help us do just that. While it is uncomfortable for us to have a hand out, we feel Betty is worth every penny that it will cost to get her back home as quickly as possible. Any donations received will go directly to her husband John. We just want our mom back home! Please help us! Please feel free to write messages of hope and encouragement here and we will happily share them with both John and Betty as they need our support. Neurologically, Betty is not the same as she was before this incident, and the doctors can't predict that her status will improve, but we believe in an almighty god who has all power and we put all our hope in him as our we walk down this road as a family and face the challenges ahead. We want to extend a tremendous appreciation to all those that love her and support her, and those who are willing to help. We also say thank you to those who are praying for her and our family in this time of uncertainty. We just need our mom to come back home where she belongs.

With Sincere Gratitude,

Holly, Heidi and Allison