Support Aaron Huffman's Recovery Sudden Paralysis & Cancer

It is a privilege to introduce to you the Huffman Family.

You know how some movies begin with its ending or somewhere in the middle? If I were writing The Huffman’s story, I would begin it by telling you what miracles have come from all of this. I would sing a song about Aaron’s recovery from being paralyzed. I would skip the pain. I would skip the fears of the unknown that Aaron and his wife, Christine, and their two boys, Logan and Landon all have right now. I would write the story based on how our prayers were answered based on what we want to see happen. And I would write it without any pain or hardship, but this is not a movie. This is a true story that is unfolding real-time. This is why I am torn between great pain and sadness, but also hope and joy. I am compelled to share their story and their needs.

My friend, Aaron Huffman is a strong principled man who’s a loving husband to Christine and a nurturing father to their son’s, Landon & Logan. Their lives have been turned upside down because of a health crisis.

Aaron had surgery in August to remove a large tumor along his spine. When he came to we learned that he was paralyzed from the waist down. The hope was it would be temporary, so Aaron was sent to a rehab facility where he remains today. Little improvement has been made, but Aaron is a fighter and refuses to give up.

The results of the tumor are in, and it is Stage 1 or 2 CANCER. Aaron is now battling two internal wars within his body. He is still giving everything he’s got to walk again and he’s about to start battling cancer.

The Huffman Family is in a race against time for many needs as Aaron’s release date from rehab is September 24th. That is the last extension his insurance will approve before they start looking at long-term care, which is to say they intend to send him to a nursing home at the age of 39. They are telling the family once the home is made handicap compliant Aaron can return home, but what is needed is exponentially more than the family can afford.

The van is needed so Aaron can get himself to his physical therapy and cancer treatments so that Christine may resume her full-time schedule with work. The van is also necessary to keep Aaron mobile for family events, Logan and Landon’s games, and getting himself back to work.

How did this happen?

Over the last several years, [like me] Aaron has suffered from back, neck, and shoulder pains. His doctors assigned him to a chiropractor and physical therapy. The limited number of improvements gained from this were always temporary. Due to the bureaucracy of our medical system, it took some time and a loved one of Aaron’s passing to push doctors to do more. MRI’s were ordered and those discoveries alarmed Aaron, but doctors did not seem interested in healing as much as treating. Shockingly, Aaron’s MRI results revealed multiple masses along his spinal cord. His medical team decided to go the route of pain management versus pain relief. Aaron trusted the professionals because he had not lost any physical functions.

In November of last year, things escalated exponentially. Aaron started having severe numbness in his legs. As a coach for his son’s sports teams, he quickly became fatigued. He began falling without any warning signs. He started tripping all over the place. He lost sleep for body cramps, bruising, and restlessness. These limitations created issues with being able to perform his duties at work. The amount of paid time off (PTO) wasn’t enough. His work suffered. He was unable to keep up and he missed a lot of days. The family savings account was turned to vapor. Every month [strike that] every week of the last year has been a struggle for The Huffman’s.

Aaron continued to seek treatments and alternatives, but pleaded with his doctors explaining the pain is unbearable. He felt like he was unable to keep going like he had been, and the pressures were mounting against him. His doctors ordered more tests and another MRI. The last MRI revealed one of the masses had grown exponentially. The mass was putting extreme amounts of pressure on his nerves and cutting off circulation [and communication] to his lower body. Doctors theorized that without an operation, Aaron would be paralyzed [or worse] in a matter of months.

After prayer and much discussion, Aaron [along with Christine] opted for the surgery in hopes that removing the mass would restore him by making the pain go away and allowing him to move forward with his life as a husband, father, and employee. Additionally, the surgery would also allow his doctors to send the mass off for a biopsy. The results of the biopsy would help the doctors to know how to treat the remaining masses along Aaron's spine.

The surgery was successful in removing the largest mass, they sent the mass off to several specialized labs to try and get as much information as possible on what these masses are. We are all waiting for the results to come in, but as for now, they are trying to proceed with the next step which is either home or a nursing home until the home can be made ready.

Who Are The Huffman’s?

Aaron & Christine met each other when Aaron was just twelve years old. His family moved to Rocklin, California. Their house was right next door to a church where Christine’s family had been attending all her life. The couple were married in that church almost twenty years ago. They have been blessed with two sons, Logan and Landon. The family moved from California to Oklahoma in 2020 and were neighbors with my sister.

As a person who has lived an unusual life having spent much of it living in different parts of the country, I have met all types of people and shared wonderful memories with so many. One of the most touching families that has impacted my life is the family of Aaron & Christine Huffman.

They are a salt of the earth family that have encouraged and inspired me to see beyond the moment in times when I was down. They have thrown their hat in the ring as a family committed to service beyond just me, but to a countless number of others.

To be honest, when they first moved to Edmond, OK they came on so strongly that it was like alarm bells going off because people are not this genuine, this open about things, or as supportive and kind-hearted as The Huffman’s. Even by Oklahoma standards, it was overwhelming how generous and invested they were in those they got to know. There had to be a catch. I mean am I right? Thankfully our family did not shy away, but rather embraced them and we are all so blessed and grateful that we did. Needless to say, there was “no catch”. They just love people and love serving.

Over the past four years [and counting] we have been connected to The Huffman’s. We have witnessed and shared family moments, holidays, birthdays, Sunday morning worship, Baptisms, anniversaries, and weekend barbeques. We have grown together as a larger family and the investment into friendship has proven to be one that will last a lifetime.

Aaron is a natural leader who has devoted his life to serving others. His passion shines bright on the fields he has coached children’s sports on over the last ten years. For twelve years, Aaron worked for Koinonia Homes for Teens in Loomis, California. Koinonia takes chemically dependent teenagers out of juvenile detention centers and rehabilitates them through a comprehensive treatment that not only gets them sober but prepares them for adulthood. Aaron went from an online staffer to a Facility Administrator. Aaron & Christine have volunteered for their church [LIFE Church] in Edmond since they began attending there around the time of their move. Christine is a greeter welcoming the crowds and Aaron has worked on the security detail–attending multiple services each Sunday.

As an effective leader, as a friend, and as a husband & father, Aaron’s desire is for each of us to unlock our potential by instilling confidence in others through his own determination to be better, do good, and always nurture relationships. My friend truly brings happiness everywhere he goes and nobody I know can compete with his timely humor that seems to have no limits even in his present adversity. It is fine tuned for whatever the circumstances are, or the audience is.

Leadership requires courage and the ability to make decisions that an outcome is not always known with the understanding that if you are of good character with solid integrity, your decisions are made with a moral compass and the ownership of the outcome is always felt–both good and bad. Aaron made a split decision to give up a career that top earners make millions of dollars over their lifetime.

A colleague of his was moping around the office as they worked into the night hours and Aaron asked what was wrong. The answer had to do with missing his son’s graduation because they had work to do. Aaron knew right then he did not want to have to choose between his job and his kids, so he turned in his resignation and chose to put family first.

This is the Aaron that I know him to be. I know him enough to know that [all this] it really isn’t about him, but it is about finding his way back to taking care of his family and regaining his ability to support them rather than have them worry about anything or to be serving his needs. “That’s not their job”, he would say. Truly, Aaron needs his independence back!

What is needed and what will your generosity be used for?

Because of the medical bureaucracy, numerous submissions for insurance approval, and the alternative treatments they forced Aaron to try, the time waiting was time Aaron’s earnings potential was restrained. Their savings have gone towards monthly expenses, and they are in need. They made every dollar stretch as far as it could. Nobody, and I mean nobody is more worthy of your generosity.

THROUGH YOUR GENEROSITY, YOU CAN HELP RAISE AT LEAST $50,000 TO FUND THE FOLLOWING IMMEDIATE NEEDS:

1) Master bedroom opening to be widened, carpet replaced with a hard flooring, walls in the bathroom and closet reconfigured, a handicap toilet and shower.

2) Hospital Bed

3) Custom Wheelchair that secures Aaron’s entire body as he has no balance from the waist down. Insurance is covering all but $5,000.

4)A transport van with just about every handicap upgrade imaginable.

5)Medical Bill Assistance for balances that insurance does not pay.

Anything that is given to this family will not be in vain. It will not be abused. The family is grateful for your consideration, your prayers, and your generosity. I could go on and on, but I must close with my sincere request that if you want to touch and impact the lives of a worthy recipient, then look no further than the Huffman Family. Thank you in advance and may God bless the giver just as much as they bless The Huffman's.