"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise." Deuteronomy 6:5-7

These verses are Dean's living legacy to his children and those around him today. His huge heart for people led him to selflessly help those that had needs around him. Endless opportunities to share his love for Jesus with those he came in contact with! Belting out hymns, sharing a bright smile with anyone who was near, his big laugh, and his presence that simply lit a room up wherever he went! How he showed not only his family but those around him how to lean into Jesus when hard times came, the power of prayer, the importance of family, and keeping Jesus at the center! The building blocks for this family unit that helped sustain them through the tragic losses of dear family members and other various trials that have come their way the past few years. Yet they remained faithful.

But in the early month of March 2025, he started to experience an awful headache that began to worsen, so much so that he didn't even go to work, and for those that know him, you know it had to be bad if he didn't work. The pain became so bad that he became unresponsive, and the family made the decision to take him to the hospital to find out what was wrong. He was in the ICU for 2 1/2 weeks, during which time they discovered he'd had 2 mini strokes, one that affected his brain stem, the other, movement on his right side. After extensive testing, the doctors told them he had bacterial meningitis, which to this day remains a mystery as to how he got it.

For the next 3 1/2 months in the hospital, his wife and children selflessly spent their love, time, and prayer round the clock, taking shifts to sit with Dean in the hospital every single day, as well as continuing to run his business, all the while juggling their own families and work too. Dean's life is a miracle! The severity of the meningitis and the strokes normally would have ended so much differently for anyone else! But Jesus! What an incredible gift to have a family that rallies together in such a way to sow into their dad/husband and into each other what he spent his life sowing into them.

On June 25, 2025, the family was able to bring him home!

He has a trach in his windpipe that helps with his breathing but needs speech therapy to help him relearn how to swallow, speak, etc. He communicates with his family as best as he can, and it's truly inspiring to see how far he has come! The fact that he didn't lose any of his memory and knows his wife, children, grandchildren, etc. is a miracle! He has movement on his right side but will need a lot of physical therapy to help him regain full mobility, coordination, and fine motor skills, not just for his right side but for his whole body.

But all of that costs a lot of money, as do medications, equipment, a special bed, all the bills, and the day-to-day costs are overwhelming! And there really isn't a time frame on knowing how long recovery will be!

So many of us feel helpless watching from the outside, wishing we could help but not knowing how! Firstly, your prayers are the most important thing we have! But if each of you reading this donates even a little money towards this family for their costs of care, it can make a huge impact! We can surround this family with love and support so that we can help alleviate some of the financial stress that they are facing!

Let's all pull together to bless this family that has blessed and impacted so many people in this community and beyond!

Job 13:15 says, "Though he slay me, yet I will hope in Him." That is this humble family's living testimony through this trial. The devil has tried time and time again to shake their foundation, and yet they still hope! Not in their circumstances but in the God who holds them in the palm of His hand. They walk out boldly an "Even If Faith" that has sustained them this far and for what comes next!