Support Dave and Bobby's Journeys to Recovery and Healing

At age 55, my brother-in-law, Dave Gould, experienced a life-changing event on April 20, 2024, when he suffered a stroke while on a fishing trip in a remote part of Maryland. Once he finally made it to the hospital in Salisbury, he had emergency surgery to remove clots and place a stent in his carotid artery, which was dissected, but he was left with paralysis of his right side as well as significant speech deficits. His wife, Tricia, and their three grown children, Lauren, Meg and Bobby, were right by his side for his stay in Salisbury, and he was eventually transferred to Kernan Hospital for in-patient rehab.

After several weeks in rehab, Dave returned home with continued deficits while Tricia was unable to return to work. Family and friends stepped up to adapt the house to his needs (ramp, hospital bed, etc.) and Tricia was so grateful for the outpouring of help. This, however, is when the continuation of care became frustrating. Home visits were stalled due to insurance issues, and Tricia was doing everything she could (out-of-pocket) to help Dave continue to improve. This included acupuncture and many trips to their amazing chiropractor. They have appointments with a functional medicine doctor in Florida the first week of October. This doctor has prescribed a strict, organic (and expensive) diet to promote brain healing and eliminate toxins from Dave's body, as well as costly natural supplements.

Eventually Dave was able to start outpatient rehab at St. Joseph, although it has been slightly inconsistent, and he is enrolled in a program called WISH (Wellness in Stroke Head Injury) at Towson University, which is also an out-of-pocket expense. This is great news for the family as Dave will receive more PT, OT, and speech therapy consistently through this program.

At this time, 5 months post-stroke, Dave can walk with a cane and AFO for his right foot. He is still unable to use his right arm and his bladder is still not functioning. He also continues with speech deficits including aphasia and apraxia. Despite frustrating phone calls with insurance companies, appointment conflicts, concerns over money, and Tricia’s return to work, the family has persevered.

We now have the opportunity to help Dave overcome these deficits and continue on the road to recovery by supporting Dave’s medical bills and unknown out-of-pocket expenses especially for alternative therapies. Dave and his family thank you for your prayers, thoughts and support.