- M
Barbara is a wonderful teammate, friend, mother and grandmother. She has detailed her circumstances, beginning with a stroke at the age of 44 that put her in a wheelchair for over 15 years. The stroke left her with Gran-mal and asthma seizures and various heart problems. In 2003, blood clots in her leg returned her to surgery, where an IVC Filter was inserted. In 2012, a new doctor withdrew Barbara from all medications; she received therapy, no longer needed oxygen, and other medical issues lessened. She learned to walk again and in 2016, Barbara began taking college courses with her granddaughter Brianna. College courses were finally a reality for Barbara--something she had delayed since her high school graduation. She has wonderfully served as a Phi Theta Kappa Chapter Officer at Jackson College in 2017 where she excels in her college courses.
All was a thumbs-up, positive new reality until this February when, while flying to Florida to visit family and friends, that security scrutiny revealed that the IVC Filter had broken into several pieces and was found, like shrapnel, in the tissue surrounding the Filter in the Vena Cava of her body. A Vascular Specialist in Toledo, Ohio, ordered a CT Venogram scan. The report: a surgery was needed to save her life. Only two U.S. surgeons perform this surgery, and only the California surgeon was willing to perform it.
On June 10th, Barbara needs to fly to Stanford, California, meet her surgeon and anesthesiologist, and the following day will undergo a 6-12 hour surgery to remove the Filter and the pieces.
Our Phi Theta Kappa Chapter at Jackson College hopes that you will help with "Go Fund Barbara."
This is Barbara's story in her own words:
In January of 2016, I encouraged my granddaughter to attend Jackson College by supporting her and taking her to sign up for classes. While there, I mentioned to her that I didn't want her to make the same mistake that I had when I gave up a full scholarship to Adrian College during my senior year of high school to get married after graduation. I expressed my belief that this would be one of the wisest decisions she could make at this point in her life. I remember then, saying to both her and the Navigator, "I wish that I would have gone when I had the opportunity." It was at this point that I was encouraged to do just that, enroll in Jackson College, by both the Navigator and my granddaughter. My first thought was that going to college at my age, was preposterous. But, as I sat and listened to the two of the them discuss and talk about her upcoming classes that she would be taking that Winter Semester, the more I allowed it to sink in that it was possible for me to begin college also. So, before leaving the office that day, I was finally enrolled in college, fulfilling a dream I had had for forty-five years. I was now officially a "Jackson College student"!
By January of 2017, I acquired enough credits to be given the opportunity to join PTK. I found that I not only loved being a student, I was good at it. After 16 credit hours of classes I had maintained a 4.0 GPA. When I was approached about membership in PTK, I was enthralled by the Advisor Martha Petry and her enthusiasm and passion for this Honor Society. One of my greatest flaws throughout my life is that I have always been afraid to "stand out", be involved in, or a part of anything. Speaking in front of others has always terrified me and always made me physically ill. In all honesty, it was because of these fears that I made the decision to become a PTK member. When Martha asked both my granddaughter and I if we would like to be Co-Vice Presidents of the Adrian LISD Campus, I must say I was more than apprehensive, I was scared. But, with encouragement from the two of them, I decided to give it a try. Within a short amount of time I found myself wanting to be involved in, excited about, and a part of this organization. It wasn't long before I realized that I loved being a part of this "family", as I've come to call them. I look forward to being with the other members of our chapter. That's not to say that I have become totally confident and over my cautiousness and/or nervousness in joining in or speaking in public. But, because I have been allowed to learn, grow, and join in at my own pace, I am finding that I am becoming more confident.
As difficult as some of my trials have been, I am also very grateful for the lessons I have learned while going through them. When I was younger, I never imagined that at some point in my life I would be held captive in a wheelchair, on so much medication and oxygen that I couldn't function, and that my memory would begin to fade. Slowly I became someone even I didn't recognize. A woman whose husband left because of ill health and a mother who had to rely on someone else to raise her youngest child. Unfortunately, the medication did more than keep me in the wheelchair and in poor health. It changed both my personality and disposition to the point that, after I recovered, others brought it to my attention that I had hurt a lot of people with my words and actions. Since I didn't realize or understand what I had been doing at the time as a result of the medication, I knew in my heart it was important now to own up to and apologize to those I had hurt. I would never be able to forgive myself if I didn't take this step. I've learned that how we handle ourselves through both our words or/or actions is very crucial to how people accept and trust us.
Though the prospect of this surgery is unnerving, I have given it a lot of thought and prayer. I believe the difficulties I faced at the airport on the trip to and from Florida has opened doors to the possibility of yet another miracle for me. Contacting a doctor that I knew of only through You -Tube and internet investigation and then having him not only respond but then eventually agree to perform this very delicate and complicated surgery can only be of God. Since being healed the first time I find myself thankful for the new day I am given. I wake every morning, five-years later grateful to be able to walk, love my family, cook, clean, and attend college. I don't want that to change. My desire is to take this chance and have the surgery. I am confident that I am in God's hands, and that He knows what's best for me. In doing my daily devotions recently, I read a verse that confirmed to me that I have made the right decision. That verse is found in 1 Chronicles 28: 20 and says, "Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, will be with thee."
All was a thumbs-up, positive new reality until this February when, while flying to Florida to visit family and friends, that security scrutiny revealed that the IVC Filter had broken into several pieces and was found, like shrapnel, in the tissue surrounding the Filter in the Vena Cava of her body. A Vascular Specialist in Toledo, Ohio, ordered a CT Venogram scan. The report: a surgery was needed to save her life. Only two U.S. surgeons perform this surgery, and only the California surgeon was willing to perform it.
On June 10th, Barbara needs to fly to Stanford, California, meet her surgeon and anesthesiologist, and the following day will undergo a 6-12 hour surgery to remove the Filter and the pieces.
Our Phi Theta Kappa Chapter at Jackson College hopes that you will help with "Go Fund Barbara."
This is Barbara's story in her own words:
In January of 2016, I encouraged my granddaughter to attend Jackson College by supporting her and taking her to sign up for classes. While there, I mentioned to her that I didn't want her to make the same mistake that I had when I gave up a full scholarship to Adrian College during my senior year of high school to get married after graduation. I expressed my belief that this would be one of the wisest decisions she could make at this point in her life. I remember then, saying to both her and the Navigator, "I wish that I would have gone when I had the opportunity." It was at this point that I was encouraged to do just that, enroll in Jackson College, by both the Navigator and my granddaughter. My first thought was that going to college at my age, was preposterous. But, as I sat and listened to the two of the them discuss and talk about her upcoming classes that she would be taking that Winter Semester, the more I allowed it to sink in that it was possible for me to begin college also. So, before leaving the office that day, I was finally enrolled in college, fulfilling a dream I had had for forty-five years. I was now officially a "Jackson College student"!
By January of 2017, I acquired enough credits to be given the opportunity to join PTK. I found that I not only loved being a student, I was good at it. After 16 credit hours of classes I had maintained a 4.0 GPA. When I was approached about membership in PTK, I was enthralled by the Advisor Martha Petry and her enthusiasm and passion for this Honor Society. One of my greatest flaws throughout my life is that I have always been afraid to "stand out", be involved in, or a part of anything. Speaking in front of others has always terrified me and always made me physically ill. In all honesty, it was because of these fears that I made the decision to become a PTK member. When Martha asked both my granddaughter and I if we would like to be Co-Vice Presidents of the Adrian LISD Campus, I must say I was more than apprehensive, I was scared. But, with encouragement from the two of them, I decided to give it a try. Within a short amount of time I found myself wanting to be involved in, excited about, and a part of this organization. It wasn't long before I realized that I loved being a part of this "family", as I've come to call them. I look forward to being with the other members of our chapter. That's not to say that I have become totally confident and over my cautiousness and/or nervousness in joining in or speaking in public. But, because I have been allowed to learn, grow, and join in at my own pace, I am finding that I am becoming more confident.
As difficult as some of my trials have been, I am also very grateful for the lessons I have learned while going through them. When I was younger, I never imagined that at some point in my life I would be held captive in a wheelchair, on so much medication and oxygen that I couldn't function, and that my memory would begin to fade. Slowly I became someone even I didn't recognize. A woman whose husband left because of ill health and a mother who had to rely on someone else to raise her youngest child. Unfortunately, the medication did more than keep me in the wheelchair and in poor health. It changed both my personality and disposition to the point that, after I recovered, others brought it to my attention that I had hurt a lot of people with my words and actions. Since I didn't realize or understand what I had been doing at the time as a result of the medication, I knew in my heart it was important now to own up to and apologize to those I had hurt. I would never be able to forgive myself if I didn't take this step. I've learned that how we handle ourselves through both our words or/or actions is very crucial to how people accept and trust us.
Though the prospect of this surgery is unnerving, I have given it a lot of thought and prayer. I believe the difficulties I faced at the airport on the trip to and from Florida has opened doors to the possibility of yet another miracle for me. Contacting a doctor that I knew of only through You -Tube and internet investigation and then having him not only respond but then eventually agree to perform this very delicate and complicated surgery can only be of God. Since being healed the first time I find myself thankful for the new day I am given. I wake every morning, five-years later grateful to be able to walk, love my family, cook, clean, and attend college. I don't want that to change. My desire is to take this chance and have the surgery. I am confident that I am in God's hands, and that He knows what's best for me. In doing my daily devotions recently, I read a verse that confirmed to me that I have made the right decision. That verse is found in 1 Chronicles 28: 20 and says, "Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, will be with thee."