My team member, Kenneth Gray, is going through a difficult time, not just emotionally but financially as well. With the unexpected loss of his wife, Jackie. Ken is an amazing individually, always being positive, friendly and willing to give the shirt off his back for someone in need.

Below is their story:

Jackie’s story

In June of 2020, Jackie started to lose the sensation in her legs and began having difficulty walking. Unsure of what was going on, the doctors began running a long series of tests to determine a diagnosis. By October of 2020, Jackie was bedridden. She had lost the use of her legs completely, had no upper body strength, was having trouble eating and drinking, and had begun experiencing cognitive issues.

The doctors at this point had no idea what was wrong still. After seeing neurologists, endocrinologists, infectious disease specialists, orthopedic surgeons, and other specialists, they were no closer to determining the root of her issue. They continued to try to narrow down the cause of her symptoms with no real progress being made.

In May of 2021, Jackie went to the hospital for more tests. At this point they determined that she had acute appendicitis and that she needed an emergency appendectomy to remove her appendix. During the surgery she aspirated something into her lungs which caused her to rapidly develop pneumonia. Due to this aspiration pneumonia Jackie was given oxygen through a CPAP to ensure that she was getting enough when she breathed.

Her condition deteriorated over the next several hours and she had to be intubated and put on a ventilator to ensure that she received enough oxygen while her lungs healed from the pneumonia. Once she was intubated, she was also sedated to keep her comfortable while the breathing tube was in. After she was intubated and sedated, she was no longer able to talk as she was unconscious and neither I nor the kids ever spoke to her again after that point due the fact that her condition further deteriorated with her falling into an unresponsive coma hours after being put on the ventilator.

While in a coma in the ICU, Jackie contracted COVID-19. This further complicated her condition as the COVID infection progressed and further damaged her lungs. Shortly thereafter, Jackie developed MERSA, a superinfection that was resistant to all treatments that they attempted.

Finally, after 25 days in a coma and on a ventilator, Jackie succumbed to her condition and passed away on June 15th, 2022, almost exactly one year after starting to deteriorate and one month after entering the hospital for what should have been a simple series of tests and an outpatient procedure.

Jackie left behind me and our three kids as well as other family and friends, all of whom are devastated by her loss and still reeling as we try to figure out life without her. As the kids prepare to return to school the impact of her passing is amplified as the instances where she is noticeably missing increase.

In addition to all the emotional impacts her passing has caused, the financial impacts are significant as well. Her 30 days in the hospital left a balance of nearly $30,000 after insurance pays. Her funeral cost nearly $7000. There are nearly $20,000 in additional expenses that need to be settled following her death as well. All of this is on top of the impact of losing her income and its contribution to the household budget, the sting of which is heightened by the fact that her life insurance through her employer lapsed while she was in the hospital without us being aware.

This last year has been incredibly hard on our family and the loss of my partner of 25 years and the mother of my three children has been devastating to all of us. Our lives will never be the same and all we can do now is pick up the pieces.