Retired NYPD officer

I met my amazing husband on August 27,1998. I was throwing out my trash when I saw him sitting in a police scooter near my home.  When I stopped to ask him why the police have been sitting there every day, he said they were observing the airplane towers located down the block from my home.  I still remember him smiling at me and asking me if I had a boyfriend.  When I said “no” his smile got bigger and the rest is history.

Hector Rodriguez always dreamed of being a police officer.  His dream came true at the age of 21 when he became a NYPD officer.  He worked in different departments throughout the years, such as housing police, youth officer, highway patrol and the transit department.  He enjoyed all the departments he worked in.  He became a father for the first time in 1999 to our beautiful baby girl Gabby. 

On September 11, 2001 he was called to help in recovery. Soon after he got an infection in his heart. In 2004, our second child, our son Ryan, was born.  In 2004 Hector had his first stroke and seizures. In 2009 he had a pacemaker and defibrillator implanted.  

Despite all the many medical problems throughout the years with his defibrillator going off, Hector always fought hard to be there for his kids and his wife - a true family man. He never missed a school band concert for our daughter and also helped coach our son’s baseball team.  He volunteered at our church as a Royal  Rangers leader for boys and youth, which is a Bible-based program similar to the Boy Scouts.  

On February 27, 2019 Hector had a massive heart attack called a stem heart attack, also known as the widow maker because only 5% survive. He was given a stent for that heart attack. His injection fracture was so low - it was at 20% where normal heart functions are at 100%.  His injection fracture is now at 15%. 

Please read on below if you have the time. We are in need of some assistance to modify our home and buy a van which is wheelchair accessible. The money will  also be used for the following: 

*In Home Nursing Care
*Speech Therapy
*Physical Therapy
*Prescription Co-Pays
*Medical Co-Pays
*Medical Supplies  

Any donation would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your support.

After his stem heart attack they wanted him to go home and rest.  He would come back for surgery to give him another lead to the left side of his heart since the left side had gotten weaker.

On March 1, after visiting Hector, I went home to be with our children as he was being released the next day.  At 3:00 am, the hospital called and said, “Your husband has fallen and had a stroke.” 

When I arrived he was still able to speak, but after a few minutes his speech became unrecognizable. I immediately pressed the code blue button on the wall. The room filled with doctors and nurses and they rushed him to do a CT scan.  Several doctors came back to talk to me - a neurologist and a cardiologist told me that he had suffered a massive stroke and his brain was bleeding.  The doctors said that they were unable to do anything for him medically.  If they gave him medication to stop the bleeding in his brain, it would clog his new stent and he would have another heart attack.  They suggested that I bring my children in to say goodbye to their father.  

With all doctors crowding around me, one of them asked me if I believed in God. I said that I did. He said, “It would be a really good time to ask him to save your husband.” I went back to my husband’s room where he laid unresponsive and I fell to my knees and prayed. The next day the doctors said “God is healing your husband - the bleeding has stopped!”

He was moved  to a specialty rehab hospital after one month of being in the hospital.  He stayed there for approximately three months disabled and nonverbal. It’s been five months since the heart attack and we’ve had many ups and downs, such as a seizure and pneumonia causing his defibrillator to go off over 25 times. He is currently in Jacksonville trying to recover. He’s just beginning to speak in whispers and we are so happy.  

Thank you again for your prayers and support.