Jim Morgan Funeral & Expenses Fundraiser
Donation protected
Update: We have reached our overall fundraising goal between online and in person donations. The Morgan family would like to say thank you to everyone who has donated.
Any further donations will be used to cover any medical expenses (still awaiting bill from insurance company for dads 3 week stay in the hospital).
Summary: Our father, Jim Morgan, passed away on December 3, 2020 after a month-long fight with COVID-19. He didn't have life insurance or burial arrangements, which comes as an unexpected cost. We are hoping to raise money to give him a proper burial, allowing for his living loved ones to have a place to remember and honor him.
Story: After exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 on November 4th, Jim was officially tested and diagnosed with coronavirus on November 9th. He was self-quarantining when he began experiencing pain in his kidneys. He was taken to the emergency room on November 12th, where he was treated for kidney infection. He was released on November 13th.
His condition worsened over the next few days, and he was taken to the emergency room by ambulance in the early hours of November 17th. He was then placed in the COVID unit, where he was unable to see visitors. On Thanksgiving, after nine days, doctors called to let our family know he was regressing and we should discuss comfort care. He was allowed one visitor during the day, and after visiting with his son Connor, he felt a renewed sense of purpose, and continued to fight.
On Friday, November 27th, he was moved from the COVID floor to the Intensive Care Unit. While in the ICU, he was allowed one visitor per day. Over the weekend, the visits sustained him, but his body began shutting down. On Monday, November 30th, the doctors called again and asked us to visit to determine a path forward. Our dad kept wanting to fight, and we wanted to fight with him and advocate for him.
On Tuesday, December 1st, he appeared to be making a strong recovery. He was very vocal with open eyes and his classic cheeky smile. It was his day to shine.
Wednesday, he regressed. By the morning of Thursday, December 3rd, his oxygen levels dropped drastically. Nothing was helping. His body was failing. At 10:45 a.m., he told the nurses to tell his family, "I love them. I'm sorry that I can't keep fighting. Please tell them I love them." His family arrived at 10:54 a.m., and he was sleeping peacefully on morphine. More family arrived throughout the day, and our dad spent the final hours of his life surrounded by loved ones. He drew his final breath at around 10:00 p.m.
During his life, Jim was a diehard Iowa Hawkeye sports fan, an avid reader of fictional crime novels, and a connoisseur of slot machines. He had a compassionate heart and prioritized his loved ones frequently, helping his sister move to Colorado, going to visit an aunt in Texas with Alzheimer’s disease, and flying to California to dog-sit for cousins who went on vacation. He had a weakness for animals, housing stray cats and showering them in affection. He was blessed with the gifts of wit and humor, possessing a knack for remembering and recounting jokes to the delight of himself and his unsuspecting audience. He loved Jerry Lee Lewis, Neil Diamond, and Elvis Presley. Much like Elvis’s song “My Way”, Jim lived his life and left the world on his own terms and in his own way.
We are hoping to raise money to provide him a proper burial at Cedar Memorial in Cedar Rapids and give his loved ones a place to visit.
Any further donations will be used to cover any medical expenses (still awaiting bill from insurance company for dads 3 week stay in the hospital).
Summary: Our father, Jim Morgan, passed away on December 3, 2020 after a month-long fight with COVID-19. He didn't have life insurance or burial arrangements, which comes as an unexpected cost. We are hoping to raise money to give him a proper burial, allowing for his living loved ones to have a place to remember and honor him.
Story: After exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 on November 4th, Jim was officially tested and diagnosed with coronavirus on November 9th. He was self-quarantining when he began experiencing pain in his kidneys. He was taken to the emergency room on November 12th, where he was treated for kidney infection. He was released on November 13th.
His condition worsened over the next few days, and he was taken to the emergency room by ambulance in the early hours of November 17th. He was then placed in the COVID unit, where he was unable to see visitors. On Thanksgiving, after nine days, doctors called to let our family know he was regressing and we should discuss comfort care. He was allowed one visitor during the day, and after visiting with his son Connor, he felt a renewed sense of purpose, and continued to fight.
On Friday, November 27th, he was moved from the COVID floor to the Intensive Care Unit. While in the ICU, he was allowed one visitor per day. Over the weekend, the visits sustained him, but his body began shutting down. On Monday, November 30th, the doctors called again and asked us to visit to determine a path forward. Our dad kept wanting to fight, and we wanted to fight with him and advocate for him.
On Tuesday, December 1st, he appeared to be making a strong recovery. He was very vocal with open eyes and his classic cheeky smile. It was his day to shine.
Wednesday, he regressed. By the morning of Thursday, December 3rd, his oxygen levels dropped drastically. Nothing was helping. His body was failing. At 10:45 a.m., he told the nurses to tell his family, "I love them. I'm sorry that I can't keep fighting. Please tell them I love them." His family arrived at 10:54 a.m., and he was sleeping peacefully on morphine. More family arrived throughout the day, and our dad spent the final hours of his life surrounded by loved ones. He drew his final breath at around 10:00 p.m.
During his life, Jim was a diehard Iowa Hawkeye sports fan, an avid reader of fictional crime novels, and a connoisseur of slot machines. He had a compassionate heart and prioritized his loved ones frequently, helping his sister move to Colorado, going to visit an aunt in Texas with Alzheimer’s disease, and flying to California to dog-sit for cousins who went on vacation. He had a weakness for animals, housing stray cats and showering them in affection. He was blessed with the gifts of wit and humor, possessing a knack for remembering and recounting jokes to the delight of himself and his unsuspecting audience. He loved Jerry Lee Lewis, Neil Diamond, and Elvis Presley. Much like Elvis’s song “My Way”, Jim lived his life and left the world on his own terms and in his own way.
We are hoping to raise money to provide him a proper burial at Cedar Memorial in Cedar Rapids and give his loved ones a place to visit.
Organizer
Cory Morgan
Organizer
Cedar Rapids, IA