Help Josh Reclaim His Life After Stroke

My name is Leeann Willingham. In December of 2022, my husband Josh was diagnosed with a middle fossa meningioma brain tumor at the age of 44. These tumors are normally uncommon and tend to present clinically at a very large size. Josh's was covering most of his brain attached to both optic nerves, wrapped around the pituitary gland, and grew to his left carotid artery. On April 10th, 2023, after a very successful 10-hour brain surgery in Dallas, TX, Josh suffered a very massive stroke. A left MCA ischemic stroke from removing the tumor where it grew to the left corotid artery. My two girls and I were told the most devastating news: Your husband has suffered a stroke. His doctor said, 'Do you understand me? It is catastrophic... Your husband will not survive, Mrs. Willingham. He has zero chance to live, and if by chance a miracle does happen, he will never live a normal life. Josh will be vented on life support for the remainder of his life.' Those words ring in my head each and every day. In those moments, I felt like I literally hit a brick wall. I gained my thoughts and went to be with my husband. I prayed that God would hear my cries to help me make the hardest decision. I wanted with all my heart to save his life. I have been with Josh since I was 17. We share a beautiful life together. Josh told me the morning of his surgery, 'I really don't feel like this is the end of my journey. God has blessed me so much, and I have so much more to give back to this world.' I clung to those words for five months while he was vented on life support in a vegetative state, every day not knowing if he would ever wake up. Not knowing if I would ever say those words, 'I missed you and I love you.' We flew him to TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston, TX, a research facility. We knew this was our only hope. It was touch and go for days after his transfer. Josh was fighting for his life. We made a promise to each other: as long as he was fighting for his life, we were going to fight for him. After five long months, I walked into his room after being gone for only a minute, and he looked at me and smiled. I said, 'Josh, we have been waiting on you.' The nurse came running in to assess him. The doctors then came. They said it's a miracle he is awake. Little did I know the hardest part of this journey would begin. Josh survived two and a half months in ICU, five major head surgeries, numerous G/J tube surgeries, trach placed, a blood transfusion, and 5 months vented on life support. Against all odds of modern medicine, this man survived. We held onto our faith, and against all odds, he did it. God held us up each and every day, and He never forsook us. Josh's body took a hard hit from the stroke. Josh cannot use the right side of his body, and he cannot talk. His stroke took almost the whole left side of his brain including his left frontal lobe, temporal lobe, basal ganglia, and his motor strip. Josh now suffers from apraxia and aphasia. He came home to complete strangers. Both my girls live with us full-time to help me be his caregivers. They knew he needed them. I think sometimes that they are in the prime of their lives, 24 and 21, and they are willing to drop everything for him. What a love they have for their father. All this man knew was three women were taking good care of him. He has had to relearn everything like a newborn child.

We are now searching for any help to help him regain mobility and speech. Until this point, we have exhausted all our means to get him the help he needs and deserves. I would give my life for him. I will never stop fighting for him, and neither will our girls. We are in hopes to raise funds for Josh's treatment and for the treatment of other young stroke survivors. Beyond modern medicine, there is more holistic treatment for stroke survivors that is not FDA approved but is proven to work. He needs these treatments desperately. I pray one day the FDA will get on board and our insurance will cover all the treatments he needs to recover fully. Until that day, I will continue to do all I can to make sure he and others can possibly get the treatments they deserve to live, and not just to live, but live a full life again! Do all of the wonderful things that life has to offer. I pray that I always need God on my very best days as I needed Him on my worst days. We also have a Facebook page now sharing Josh's journey called 'Josh Miracle' Josh Willingham' to bring hope to others who have suffered a stroke or are going through something similar, that there is hope to recover even when givin 0% chance to live!