Donate to John's Recovery and Ana's Support

On Sunday, January 5, Dad attempted to alleviate a situation between King (his dog) and another dog passing by. Unfortunately, at some point his head hit the pavement—he did recently undergo rotator cuff surgery, so that likely impacted his ability to catch himself or reduce the impact.

His wife (Ana), neighbors, and cars passing immediately noticed that something was very wrong and paramedics were called to the scene. He was agitated and complained of a great headache upon arrival at HCMC, where he was quickly sedated for his own safety.

The immediate and only option given was lifesaving surgery to remove a portion of his skull to allow for swelling as a large subdural hematoma was identified. Though surgery had its risks, it was successful—praise God. He remains stable but unconscious in the ICU with a long road ahead. We are hopeful and will proceed down whichever recovery path presents itself.

John is a man of God, a loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend. We've received so much outreach for updates on his health, it's truly incredible. He/we know that God has healing hands and carries the keys and to give our anxiety, fear, and discomfort to Him.

As we work through all things medical, we are also here to support his wife and our stepmother, Ana. Dad and Ana have been together for 6 years and married this summer, having been navigating the visa process since. She is battling heartache, language barrier in a medical setting, logistical and financial stress as well as a newly independent daily routine. We are wrapping our arms around her and are committed to supporting her through this devastating time.

We are fundraising to support Dad's medical expenses and to assist Ana as she assumes responsibility of all other expenses during this difficult time.

We believe in the power of prayer. Please join us and share the prayer request out further. We sincerely thank you for your support. He will be in absolute awe of how much love surrounds him.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." — ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

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Latest update | Wednesday, April 23

Dad is finally set to go home Friday, May 2! He's been making incredible progress with therapies after only a week and a half since returning to rehab—we're anxious to see the strides he makes over the course of another week and a half. Now, we're gearing up (or scrambling) to ensure his return home is safe and as comfortable as possible.

The rehab team does presume that some physical assistance will be required in the short term, so at the request of the discharge coordinator, we're wrangling the troops. If you're willing and able, please consider spending some time with the big guy in May or June: https://www.giveinkind.com/inkinds/G3N5I2I

Easter with grandpa!

Friday, April 4

Dad has made progress with the help of therapies every day. Unfortunately, due to the overcompensation of drained cerebrospinal fluid at the time of shunt placement, we must go back to surgery today. Following, we will do the same dance of readmission to acute rehab we've done twice before.

On a bright note, he was able to enjoy a hamburger last week! He's a fighter and continues to make everyone he encounters laugh each day. We continue to pray! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Tuesday, March 25

A photo from February 13th, Dad and Ana's 6mo anniversary.

Monday, March 24

After a challenging few weeks in the hospital, Dad is finally now back in acute rehab (as of Friday). Today has started slower than anticipated due to a feeding tube replacement but 3hrs of daily therapy is what we expect from now until he is discharged home (likely mid April).

We do know that we will need physical support once he is home, though to what extent is unclear—staff expects for him to be relatively capable of normal movements but has encouraged early outreach to get ahead. If you would like to help and/or spend some time with him once he is home, please contact Ana, Alexandra or Taylor.

Tuesday, March 4

Shunt surgery was generally successful, though there was a slight overcompensation that reduced Dad's ventricles to a size smaller than the neurosurgery team would prefer. After the post-op CT, they adjusted the valve settings to offset the overcompensation. Dad is now speaking much more clearly and seems to be a bit more stable on his feet. We hope to transfer back to rehab in the next day or so. Thank you for your continued prayers!

Thursday, February 27

Dad had a follow up appointment with HCMC neurosurgery early this week where they retrieved CT imaging of his brain. Though the bleeding and clot appear to be improving, the ventricles are larger than they would like. Today, he will undergo one more surgery to internally implant a shunt that will help him drain cerebrospinal fluid. We expect to stay under surgical supervision within HCMC through the weekend and are hopefully back to rehab early next week. Thank you for your continued support and prayer. If you're able, please extend further the prayer request with others today.

Friday, February 21

Dad is off to acute rehab with a follow up appointment with HCMC neurosurgery scheduled for next week. Thank you for your continued prayers! We're one step further into the recovery journey.

Friday, February 14

This week he's been walking the hallways with PT. Praise God!

Monday, February 10

The trach is officially out and we're starting the acute rehab facility referral process. Once outreach has been initiated by the case manager here, the rehab facility(ies) will track his progress and share next steps or progress requirements necessary for admission.

Dad is spending a lot more time in the chair, trying to speak and remaining awake—though still with many scattered naps throughout the day. God is good. He continues to impress rounding doctors.

Thursday, January 30

PT/OT and speech teams have seen Dad everyday this week. He continues to show progress and is antsy to get out of bed—he has been able to stand, with support, each day. Re: speech, his therapy is currently focused on strengthening the right side of his face and mouth so that he is better able to form words—he currently has dysarthria and dysphagia. We are working towards decannulation, with hopes of it being sometime next week. Thank you for your prayer, prayer requests and continued support for our favorite guy.

If you know anyone that works for USPS, please let them know that our application for the Leave Sharing Program has been submitted and we are currently awaiting a case number.

Saturday, January 25

Dad has successfully transferred from HCMC to a local LTACH where he'll continue to heal before transitioning to an acute rehab facility—because he's on the brink of not requiring oxygen and being able to participate in PT/OT, I expect the transition to be within the next week or so. Though we know the brain takes time to recover, he continues to show improvement each day. We're praying for his full recovery, comfort and hope.

Tuesday, January 21

Dad is showing progress each day—keeping his eyes open with the daylight though he does remain nonverbal. We've now transitioned out of the ICU and await confirmation of what the route looks like post hospital. Thank you for your continued outreach, support and prayer.

Friday, January 17

Dad has continued to show progress following the two procedures this past Tuesday. On Wednesday, following an extended tolerance test, the external ventricular drain (EVD) was also removed. With strides of breathing without ventilator support and transition to mostly humidification, we're near the next stage of recovery: extensive rehabilitation.

Dad continues to surprise nursing and surgical teams and has been keeping his eyes open and remaining more "alert" longer each day. We are celebrating ALL wins. Thank you for your continued prayer.

Tuesday, January 14

Dad is currently undergoing a tracheostomy (trach) and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG). Though he may have a sleepier afternoon following, these steps should encourage more comfortable, effective and efficient healing. He remains stable, has been opening his eyes and has consistently had progressive neurological exams. God is good. Please continue with us in prayer.

Sunday, January 12

Dad's latest CT scan showed progressive healing, with blood appearing to be drying as expected. He remains unconscious but stable with a phenomenal nursing team caring for him 24/7. If still deemed necessary, he will pivot from ventilator and nose feeding to a trach and PEG (feeding tube) next week. It's the Sabbath, we rest and recover. His healing hands are covering our blessed daddy.