Life can change in an instant.
Many of you know my dad, Barry Loy — a proud Vietnam veteran, a Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputy/detective for 47 years, and truly one of the most loyal, amazing, and unforgettable men you could ever meet. He’s the guy who brought in donuts and bagels every Friday, made trays of chocolate-covered strawberries on Valentine’s Day, and would give the shirt off his back to help someone in need. If you were lucky enough to know him, you know he showed up for everyone — always.
My dad was in the hospital as we were preparing for what we thought would be another open-heart surgery — but instead, he suffered a massive stroke on May 1st that required emergency brain surgery. He now has paralysis on his right side and very limited speech — just a couple of words at a time before it becomes slurred. He’s fighting hard, and we’re seeing slow progress day by day. But the truth is — he will need 24/7 care moving forward, which I’m committed to providing, with the help of home nurses.
He’s scheduled to be discharged soon, and this is where we face our biggest challenge yet. I refuse to let my dad be placed in a nursing home. That would break his spirit — anyone who knows him knows that. Before the stroke, he was independent, sharp, active, and full of life.
I’ve been in Florida since May 1st — with a brief week back in Texas to get things in order, I returned with my husband and our two boys — who my dad absolutely adores. We’ve been doing all we can to support him. He’s excited and ready to be with us in Texas, and we’re eager to bring him home — but we need help covering the cost of a medical transport and also help with home healthcare, so he can safely continue his recovery in our home.
We have a tight-knit community and strong support system in Texas ready to help and lift his spirits. While his insurance will cover physical, occupational, and speech therapy, it does not cover custodial care — which is the full-time, day-to-day help he now needs. That, along with the cost of medical transport, comes with a significant out-of-pocket burden.
My dad has always taken care of everyone else — and now it’s our turn to take care of him.
If you can donate, share, or just simply pray, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
He loves having visitors and was just moved to a new rehab facility where he’ll stay until we can move him. If you’d like to visit, message me and I’ll send you the info.