Help us for David Roggo

My husband David suffered a severe hemorrhagic stroke on the evening of February 24. David came home and said he was a little tired. He was sweating and had a headache. He wanted to cool off, and as he sat down he started to vomit a lot. I was a little worried, but wanted him to rest. He said he would go take a rest and lay down.

I continued to prepare dinner. David had just started a new job two days earlier after a prolonged lay off due to the Corvid 19 situation. I thought he might have been stressed out a little with the new job, but nothing too serious.
Soon our 7-year-old daughter decided to go check on dad and talk to him. She came back and told me “Daddy is making weird sounds.” I rushed in the room, just thinking that perhaps it’s nothing too serious and he wants help to get up. I found David almost falling off the bed and completely unresponsive. I tried to talk to him to tell him that I would help get him back to bed. I did not realize it, but David had suffered a severe stroke. My daughter rushed to call 911, as I desperately tried to revive him. The 911 operator was tremendously helpful in directing me on what to do until the medics arrived. They immediately determined he had suffered a severe stroke. They airlifted him to Texas Harris Methodist Hospital because they were well equipped to operate or perform the procedures that he needed.

It was determined that David had a severe brain injury. After looking at the images of his brain, they told me he was not going to make it while at the ICU. They kept on telling me that they were very sorry, but then David softly squeezed my hand three times. I told them he is not dying because he had squeezed my hand deliberately. By this time the priest was there, standing by and ready to read David his last rites. I said, “No! Please! He can hear me! He knows we are here!” They performed the procedures, and 24 hours later he was still fighting. Many people had been praying for him, with 24-hour prayer chains busily interceding on his behalf and praying for a miracle.

David finally opened his eyes four days ago! He has ventilators for breathing, a Tracheotomy on his neck and PEG feeding tube and other life support equipment. However, David is improving every day and sometimes he has setbacks. He is weak, but alive and alert. He goes in and out, but he is fighting so hard. He can now move his fingers, at times his whole arm a little ways. He cannot speak yet, but he can understand us by responding to basic commands when he is less tired. We are hopeful that he is on the path to recovery, and we are fighting for him right alongside him.

Some have asked how they can help. Every bit of help counts! The prayers, the words of encouragement, the help in daycare for my daughter while I am out to see David all helps tremendously.

With David’s progress he will be released to a long-term care facility to continue his recovery and physical therapy when appropriate. His recovery will be long and difficult, but we are fully determined to fight with him and walk with him.

This GoFundMe campaign is to raise money to help alleviate some of the huge medical financial bills that are mounting, and the significant stress and difficulty this episode has placed on his family. All funds collected will be used to pay his medical expenses, including Texas Harris Methodist Hospital, Long Term Care Facility, physicians, prescriptions, therapists and other necessary financial obligations.

Any amount you can give will be helpful and will appreciate your generosity.