Join in Our Journey to Help Joe Dakota
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On March 18th, 2020, life as the Dakotas have known it changed forever. At the young age of 42, Joe had a massive hemorrhagic stroke while getting ready for work.
Upon arrival at the emergency room, doctors recommended an external shunt be placed bedside to release the pressure from his brain bleed/injury. Kate and a friend waited outside his room until 3:00am, when he was stable. It was too soon to know what was next. Unfortunately, with Covid-19 shutting everything down, Kate was not able to sit with her husband after that. The injuries showed paralysis of his right side.
Over the next 54 days, Joe would have over 12 CT scans, an EEG, and 5 brain surgeries, including internalizing a shunt, replacement/flushing the shunt, externalizing the shunt again, and lastly, having an ultra-low pressure shunt placed. While the nurses did their best during this time to keep Kate updated daily, she did not always know what was going on with her husband. Kate was dealing with all of this while working in the medical field and having 3 kids question what was happening to their dad.
Luke, Skye and Walker miss their dad so much. He is truly their hero!
In early May, Joe was finally accepted and moved into a traumatic brain injury facility. He has an exceptionally long and difficult (?) road ahead of him. Unfortunately, insurance will soon consider his care only custodial, even though he still needs care 24/7, and they will no longer cover his stay in the facility, which includes intense physical, occupational and speech therapies. Joe continues to make small gains, but still needs assistance with all daily tasks. He was recently able to walk 220 feet with minimal assistance after 6 weeks there.
Kate is doing everything she can to afford to keep him there. This is the absolute best place for him to be, and gives him the greatest chance of what recovery is possible. As much as Joe’s family wants him home, he needs more rehabilitation before that can be considered. Kate works a full-time job along with taking care of her kids.
It’s unfair and unjust that the insurance company gets to decide when his treatment ends, even though the facility thinks he needs more time! The purpose of this fundraiser is to help lighten the financial burden of Joe’s hospital and rehabilitation stays.
Any size donation helps, and we appreciate and thank each and every one of you for donating!!
Upon arrival at the emergency room, doctors recommended an external shunt be placed bedside to release the pressure from his brain bleed/injury. Kate and a friend waited outside his room until 3:00am, when he was stable. It was too soon to know what was next. Unfortunately, with Covid-19 shutting everything down, Kate was not able to sit with her husband after that. The injuries showed paralysis of his right side.
Over the next 54 days, Joe would have over 12 CT scans, an EEG, and 5 brain surgeries, including internalizing a shunt, replacement/flushing the shunt, externalizing the shunt again, and lastly, having an ultra-low pressure shunt placed. While the nurses did their best during this time to keep Kate updated daily, she did not always know what was going on with her husband. Kate was dealing with all of this while working in the medical field and having 3 kids question what was happening to their dad.
Luke, Skye and Walker miss their dad so much. He is truly their hero!
In early May, Joe was finally accepted and moved into a traumatic brain injury facility. He has an exceptionally long and difficult (?) road ahead of him. Unfortunately, insurance will soon consider his care only custodial, even though he still needs care 24/7, and they will no longer cover his stay in the facility, which includes intense physical, occupational and speech therapies. Joe continues to make small gains, but still needs assistance with all daily tasks. He was recently able to walk 220 feet with minimal assistance after 6 weeks there.
Kate is doing everything she can to afford to keep him there. This is the absolute best place for him to be, and gives him the greatest chance of what recovery is possible. As much as Joe’s family wants him home, he needs more rehabilitation before that can be considered. Kate works a full-time job along with taking care of her kids.
It’s unfair and unjust that the insurance company gets to decide when his treatment ends, even though the facility thinks he needs more time! The purpose of this fundraiser is to help lighten the financial burden of Joe’s hospital and rehabilitation stays.
Any size donation helps, and we appreciate and thank each and every one of you for donating!!
Organizer and beneficiary
Lyndsey Ryan
Organizer
Canton Township, MI
Kate Dakota
Beneficiary