Ruth, Josh, and the Tiny Tots
Donation protected
Josh, Ruth's husband, was born with an Arteriovenous Malformation, or AVM, in the frontal and temporal lobes of his brain that began to manifest symptoms several years ago. An AVM is extremely rare (about 3 in every 10,000 people) and consists of a tangle of arteries and veins which can appear anywhere in the body with the most dangerous being in the brain. When they first started their journey, the neurology team told them they were unable to tell Josh and Ruth what to expect or even give an estimated timeline.
The picture above is a picture of Josh's brain on Jan 25, 2015 (for reference, assume he is facing you). His left side looks normal. The tangled ball on his right side (the picture’s left side) is his AVM. In this picture, it is about a quarter of his brain, a grade 4. Now it is encompassing the entire right side of his brain and parts of the left, not because it is growing, but rather it is the effect of all his microbleeds and swelling in the brain from just its presence. Our brains are inside a hard skull, so there is not a lot of room for swelling or anything the brain doesn’t really like. Even in this picture you can already see the vasculature compensating for it being there. You can see the two main vessels going down the middle of the picture and the one under the AVM is more swollen than the left, making it weaker and prone to bleeding.
Ruth posted on her Instagram in December 2019 along with the photo above:
"Cognitive fatigue is very common after any injury to the brain. Even simple tasks can be very overwhelming for Josh and as time has gone on, he has slept more and more. I know this is hard for him because he wants to be there with his children and the feeling of loneliness can be hard for me too, but right now, I am so thankful for my moments when the Josh I married comes back. He is still in there. ♥️"
As time has passed, Josh has continued to develop worsening dementia-like symptoms. On August 22, 2020, Josh suffered a massive seizure and continued to have seizure activity in the ER and throughout his hospital stay. He spent 19 days in the hospital, trying to rehabilitate as much as was physiologically possible.
The above picture is Josh on day 17 of hospitalization. He wrote Ruth this note, with help, and it was very exciting!
Before Josh got sick, they talked a lot about how they wanted a big family. A couple months before Josh had a big seizure, they decided it was time to start trying for another baby. In January, Josh and Ruth announced they are now expecting twins in the spring!
Since discovering this news, Josh has continued to decline mentally and physically and Ruth made the difficult decision to place him on hospice care. Ruth, a hard-working nurse at the hospital AND at home along with being a mother and wife, has been doing an awe-inspiring job as she's been performing the duties of multiple people all at once while supporting her family emotionally, physically, mentally, and financially.
In lieu of a baby shower to celebrate the twins who will be here before we know it, we are asking for any monetary donations, big or small, to donate toward medical bills, cost of living, and an expanding family. As Ruth has given everything she has (and more!) to her sweet family, the burden of finances being lessened, even slightly, will allow her to focus on what is most important and in need of her time and attention. Thank you so much for considering! <3
The picture above is a picture of Josh's brain on Jan 25, 2015 (for reference, assume he is facing you). His left side looks normal. The tangled ball on his right side (the picture’s left side) is his AVM. In this picture, it is about a quarter of his brain, a grade 4. Now it is encompassing the entire right side of his brain and parts of the left, not because it is growing, but rather it is the effect of all his microbleeds and swelling in the brain from just its presence. Our brains are inside a hard skull, so there is not a lot of room for swelling or anything the brain doesn’t really like. Even in this picture you can already see the vasculature compensating for it being there. You can see the two main vessels going down the middle of the picture and the one under the AVM is more swollen than the left, making it weaker and prone to bleeding.
Ruth posted on her Instagram in December 2019 along with the photo above:
"Cognitive fatigue is very common after any injury to the brain. Even simple tasks can be very overwhelming for Josh and as time has gone on, he has slept more and more. I know this is hard for him because he wants to be there with his children and the feeling of loneliness can be hard for me too, but right now, I am so thankful for my moments when the Josh I married comes back. He is still in there. ♥️"
As time has passed, Josh has continued to develop worsening dementia-like symptoms. On August 22, 2020, Josh suffered a massive seizure and continued to have seizure activity in the ER and throughout his hospital stay. He spent 19 days in the hospital, trying to rehabilitate as much as was physiologically possible.
The above picture is Josh on day 17 of hospitalization. He wrote Ruth this note, with help, and it was very exciting!
Before Josh got sick, they talked a lot about how they wanted a big family. A couple months before Josh had a big seizure, they decided it was time to start trying for another baby. In January, Josh and Ruth announced they are now expecting twins in the spring!
Since discovering this news, Josh has continued to decline mentally and physically and Ruth made the difficult decision to place him on hospice care. Ruth, a hard-working nurse at the hospital AND at home along with being a mother and wife, has been doing an awe-inspiring job as she's been performing the duties of multiple people all at once while supporting her family emotionally, physically, mentally, and financially.
In lieu of a baby shower to celebrate the twins who will be here before we know it, we are asking for any monetary donations, big or small, to donate toward medical bills, cost of living, and an expanding family. As Ruth has given everything she has (and more!) to her sweet family, the burden of finances being lessened, even slightly, will allow her to focus on what is most important and in need of her time and attention. Thank you so much for considering! <3
Organizer and beneficiary
Chelsey Bowyer Gooch
Organizer
Riverton, UT
Ruth Bergon
Beneficiary