Good Will Returned to Ray Moe

On October 10, 2021, an ambulance was at our parents’ house - our dad (Dadder) was sick. Soon after its arrival, the paramedics realized his blood sugar levels were sky high and he was severely dehydrated. They got him on an IV and continued to take stats. They then found he was only taking in 39% oxygen and admitted him into the MICU. A rapid Covid test was given and it returned positive results. The Covid had complicated his Type II Diabetes and he was in need of a biPAP. On top of his body dealing with the injuries from Covid, he also had pneumonia and then, a couple days later, had an Ischemic stroke (i.e., one that is caused by a clot and prevents blood from getting where it needs to go). Dadder lost movement and functioning on his left side. Because his body was working so hard to breathe, the doctors decided to put him on a ventilator and induce a coma. He went through days and nights of proning and the doctors/nurses finding the right amount of pressure/peeps to give him along with balancing the medications that would help with everything he was battling. On October 24, he opened his eyes again. They were starting to back off of the sedation and slowly wean the ventilator to see what, if anything, he could tolerate. Dadder started giving us lots of “thumbs up” gestures which was his way of saying he was going to be okay and he didn’t want us to worry. He got a second bout of pneumonia and, at this point, the medical team was discussing a tracheotomy. But instead of getting a trach, on November 2 (Dadder’s 65th birthday) they actually removed the ventilator and moved him to the NTICU - this was the best gift for him and for us!! On November 9, after almost a month of being in ICU, he was moved to the neuro-critical unit and began to work more with the therapists on that floor (physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech/language therapy). On November 11, he passed his swallow test and the next night they removed the feeding tube. The goal moving forward is to stabilize his oxygen (he gets it from either a nasal cannula or heated high-flow) and begin aggressive therapy so he can try to regain some of the strength he’s lost and perform basic activities of daily living (i.e., brush teeth, wash face, get to/from the bathroom). Today, as we write this, marks FIVE WEEKS of him being away from us. Too long. The hospital does not allow visitors; even out of the ICU they tell us that there is a “no visitor policy unless you are end-of-life”. A day has not gone by, however, without us seeing him virtually. We have called and continue to “meet” with him every. single. day. Even when he was in the coma, we talked to him and encouraged him. We can assure you that we also passed along every prayer, message, card, and hug you all were sharing with us. We know our dad’s unwavering faith will help get him through this.

So...that’s the condensed version of what happened. Now, let us explain the reason for setting up this fundraiser. Our dad is a talented man whose job (life) was building unique, one-of-a-kind homes unlike any other builder can and making Raymond Moe Construction a respected and desired name. His mind is always moving and his body always followed. Until now. This setback has no doubt impacted his ability to continue doing what he loves and what has paid the bills. He physically will not be able to build homes any more. He was the guy who said he would work until his last day; he said he would never be able to retire because he loved what he did. This situation has forced him down a different path. We would need hundreds of hands to count how many times our dad helped our families and ourselves and would not accept a single thing in return (except maybe a shoulder rub or a meal off the grill). We think it’s safe to assume he did this for countless others as well. Because his generosity and caring ALWAYS outweighed his need to make a buck, he’s now in a financial situation he did not anticipate. He cannot work; his business is not operating. Then on top of that add the unforeseen hospital/medical bills, costs for aggressive rehabilitation, outpatient therapy services, lawyers/legal support, needed house modifications, and outstanding bills. Ray Moe, Dadder, has done so much good will for others; it’s worth us asking if that can be returned. Our parents are private people, so the fact that they are okay with us creating this fundraiser demonstrates their need. If donating money is not an option, please consider helping in other ways. Thank you so much for your continued prayers and thoughts. Our dad, and our entire family, would never have been able to get through this without the love and support of our dear family and friends. Dadder recently said “if you believe in miracles, they do happen”.