Help the Family of Joan Hixon
On November 10, 2018, while driving home from a family wedding, Joan Hixon collapsed behind the wheel of her vehicle on Beltway 8. Her husband Richard, in the passenger seat, was able to safely maneuver the car to the shoulder of the road, where he began chest compressions on his wife.
Joan had suffered a massive heart attack. She has been unresponsive since that night. In the four months since the heart attack, Joan has been in ICU, lower level care in the hospital, & skilled nursing centers. Insurance only goes so far and there are certain to be other expenses on the horizon for Joan’s care which are beyond insurance coverage.
The Hixon family plays a large role in their community, giving much of their time to the parish of Prince of Peace, The Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Homeschool Community, their Prestonwood neighborhood & Flyers swim team, the Champions Park Stars swim team, Cypress Creek High Band, Boy Scouts Troop 928, and American Heritage Girls Troop 2928. They also play a large part in my family’s life, as dear friends and Godparents of our fourth child.
Joan was sunshine – she radiated joy to each person she met. She whistled while she worked, that same joy spilling over even with mundane tasks. She was the confidant to many, offering a different perspective to those who sought her help with problems or complicated matters. She had a way of simplifying things or helping one through something that seemed insurmountable. Along with Richard, she said, “Yes,” often and along with that willingness to help, she, Richard, and their family have touched the lives of many.
Not the least of those lives touched are her husband, her four children, her two grandchildren, parents, sisters, brothers-in-law, sister-in-law, nieces, nephews, and other family members who acutely feel her loss:
Joan is still unconscious with minimal voluntary response to external stimulation. She experiences bouts of what are known as a neurological storms which are common among patients who have suffered brain damage from the lack of oxygenated blood while her heart was stopped. The storms present themselves with Joan sweating profusely, moving anxiously, looking absolutely in pain, and the left side of her body goes very rigid and flexing. There is a medication protocol to address the symptoms of anxiety, high blood pressure, and pain. Getting the nursing team to administer in the right order and in a timely manner has been a challenge and will continue to be one, especially now that Joan is in skilled nursing rather than a hospital.
Many, many thanks go out each person, each family, who has helped in some way – a card, a note of encouragement, visiting the hospital, spending the evening with Joan so Richard could rest, the meals that have been constant throughout this ordeal (let’s not forget how many people came together to create a Thanksgiving meal for the family and also Christmas dinner), and other small things that have not gone unnoticed by the family.
It must be said that the prayers which have been constant are sustaining the family in ways we cannot know. Joan’s faith was deep, and she shared it willingly with those who came in contact with her. Please, continue to pray for Joan, her family, all who miss her, and her care team. Prayer is the core of all that the family does, and this is no exception. In fact, it is most necessary. Many have also asked if they could do more...and it’s time.
I come to you asking to help these friends of ours in different way, if you are able. As one can imagine, there is immeasurable stress on the family having a loved one in such a state. Stress caused not only by the decisions that must be made on a constant basis regarding her care, but also caused by present and future financial strain. Thus, I have started this campaign to help ease some of the financial burden.
Please share this page and watch for fundraising events happening soon…
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and helping the family in this way if you can.
Please continue to pray,
Keri Cooper