Heartfelt Support for Neil and Stephanie: Stand in the Gap

I am creating this account to help my dear friend Stephanie and her husband Neil. Stephanie has been one of my best friends for about 26 years. We met in collage during our freshmen year at the University of Tennessee during welcome week and have been together ever since – really we’re more like sisters than friends. Stephanie is truly more like a sister to me, and was right beside me for the recent funerals of both my parents, and getting my childhood home ready to sell. She is the family that God blesses us with that others call friends. So when she met this guy named Neil, and told me they were going to get married I knew he had to be special and one of kind in order to capture her heart….don’t worry I made sure he was above board and passed my own requirements for the future husband of my best friend…. Which he did pass, they are so well matched for each other, and I had the honor of being part of their wedding 5 years ago! Neil, has become a great friend and in a way a brother-in-law to me. So last month when they received the shock of their lives, I knew immediately that I had to do something …. And I know any friends of theirs from all parts of their lives feel the same. I wanted to create an opportunity for all of us to reflect their level of love, kindness, and generosity, that they've shared with us and so many others, back to them in their time of need.

Neil and Stephanie’s world was turned upside down on the night of March 9th, as Stephanie rushed Neil to the ER with chest pain and irregular heart rhythm! Their local hospital kept Neil in the ER overnight to run test and monitor his heart. He had been in fib for over 12 hours and they were going to shock his heart back into rhythm, but thankfully they did a CT scan first to check for any blood clots that might have formed from the fib. When they did the scan they discovered that he has an ascending aortic root aneurysm and also a bicuspid aorta valve. The aneurysm was at a size where they recommend surgery so they sent them urgently via ambulance to Piedmont Atlanta Hospital were they thought he would be going straight into open-heart surgery. Once there however the new cardiologist wanted to run more test to have a better idea of the whole picture.

Well after a WEEK in the hospital in Atlanta, of being poked and prodded and having all the scans and test on his heart and head…Neil was discharged from the hospital. Bittersweet news though, as he was told that he would still need to have open heart surgery to repair his aortic valve and aortic aneurysm. The doctors didn’t feel like it would tear immediately so they allowed Neil and Stephanie to go home and await the surgery. After a call with the surgeon and his medical team, Neil was scheduled for surgery on May 30th….that’s two and a half months after his diagnosis! This situation is extremely surreal and hard to grasp. Neil is very healthy (exercises, hikes, fish, his job is very physical, etc.) and young (41 yrs. old), but this is how his heart was when he was born, and it took this long to be an issue. He never knew he had a heart problem or anything before this. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers as they continue on this journey.

We all need someone in a time of crisis, and I’m reaching out to you on behalf of Stephanie and Neil in order to make a tangible impact in their lives during this time. Stephanie is originally from Tennessee so her family is about 4-5 hours away, and Neil is from Washington State, so they don’t have any family close by.

They moved from Seattle to Georgia 3 years ago with their sweet fur babies, Holiday and Lorenza, so that Stephanie could go to flight school. After a 16-year career with Delta as a flight attendant, Stephanie decided that she wanted to make a career change and move to the other side of the flight deck door and become a pilot. Neil, being the generous and supportive husband, and humble person that we all know him to be, moved with her and started his own business in order to support them while Stephanie went after her dream to become a pilot. Stephanie entered a pilot program with Delta and is in flight school full time where she is making great strides towards her goal. Neil has created a successful handyman business in their community. Since Stephanie is in school full-time, Neil is their sole provider. This is were you and I come in to help stand in the gap for Neil and Stephanie during this 2.5 month waiting period and the 3-5 month recovery time after Neil’s heart surgery. Obviously in Neil’s condition he can not work now by doctor’s orders because his line of work is very physical, and it will take every moment of the 3-5 months after surgery for him to be back to full-strength and able to return full-time to his handyman business.

While they are in this new precarious situation with Neil’s health, they are also dealing with the very real reality of their everyday life and needs. There is still the house mortgage, car and health insurance, utilities, groceries, gas, etc. you get the picture! Plus the new out of pocket health care and hospital bills not covered by insurance (currently and in the foreseeable future of follow-up care for Neil after surgery) that has been added to the invisible list of very tangible everyday needs they are encountering. In addition to prayer, please help met their physical needs by giving to this Go Fund Me account, even $5, or $10, $50, $100, $300 will help - even more if you are inclined. I really just want to be able to help my friends as they have been there for you and me over the years. Let’s be their tribe in both word and deed. Please share this link, so that more people can contribute to this amazing couple during this hard time.