Thanks for taking a look at my Gofundme request. This story may be a little long but I want everyone to know what happened, how heartbreaking it is, and why I am trying to help a small family of two get through this.

Joyce's story is tragic almost beyond belief. She passed away unexpectedly after spending months in medical care. I feel compelled to help pick up the pieces for those left behind. This could have happened to any of us. I like to think that we are all part of a larger community that will rally and try to relieve the pain of this situation and help this little family to recover and rebuild their lives.

My part has been to be a friend, advocate, and health care proxy for Joyce. Now I am advocating for Joyce's 7 year old special needs son and also for the boy's father who was engaged to Joyce. They are trying to help themselves, but need financial assistance to fill the gap, pay bills, and make it so that work and day care can happen.

The hunt is on for specialized day care and a safe reliable vehicle for commuting. While looking for work and day care, final expenses and the bills and need for the basic necessities of life are mounting. Social services are being looked in to, but it may take a while for a good plan to be implemented. This family needs to eat and subsist today.

How did this all happen?

In times when many people are just getting by, a ripple in lives can send things toppling.

Joyce had been battling resistant pneumonia for several months and had had several stays in the ICU trying to resolve it. In early January she went to day surgery for a bronchoscopy to help determine the best meds for treating her pneumonia. Things went terribly wrong, and her throat swelled around the endotracheal tube making it unable to be removed. She ended up in a medically induced coma and on a ventilator.

There were several close calls over the next weeks, resulting in a partially collapsed lung and more pneumonia. MRSA reared its ugly head, as well as sinus and ear infections, high fevers, and severe injury to her tongue from chewing the ventilation hose while under sedation. A tracheotomy was performed so that the vent tube could be removed and her tongue salvaged.

The medical team began to wean her off sedation and let her wake slowly. Finally on the 10th of February she was moved to a different hospital rehabilitation facility and her awakening continued. Joy was sad to find out about everything that had taken place and especially that she had missed her son's seventh birthday. She silently cried because the trache and her tongue prevented speech.

Joyce lost all muscle strength in her arms and legs. Over the week she did rehab and I continued visiting almost daily. I helped her practice writing so she could communicated better. She would shake her head yes and no, give thumbs up and gesture to communicate. Her son was able to communicate on video chat with her. Joyce and I played tic tac toe, practiced writing her name, drew shapes and texted her best friends.

On the 18th of February I was called and asked to attend an afternoon meeting with her care team in her room so Joyce could be involved. Next steps were discussed and Joyce was told she would need a feeding tube. Due to the severe tongue damage and trach, it would be an extended time before she would be able to eat normally.

Joyce cried and was scared. On the 19th the procedure was done in her hospital room. I got a call that the Doctor wanted to talk to me and that he would be calling me right back. I waited a while and finally I called and got the nurse. The Doctor had left already, but she told me the procedure had been difficult but was completed.

Just eight hours later they were doing CPR on Joyce! They called me at about 5AM asking for permission to let Joyce go! Not willing to make such a grave decision without being there, I hurried to the hospital. When I got there I found that Joyce had already lost her life.

What had happened? What appeared to be a routine bedside feeding tube insertion went very wrong. I was told there was an error placing the feeding tube and placement failed. A second attempt, inserted a bit over from the first, appeared to be more successful. During the night, though, these insertions caused internal bleeding and she bled out until her heart stopped. The CPR failed to revive her.

So very hard to wrap my head around what happened. So very hard to imagine this little boy suddenly faced with growing up without his mama. So hard to see a little family now struggle to survive while trying to be independent and go forward.

And this is why I am here. Asking.

This is why I am here hoping you all know how fragile life is and that things can change in less than a heartbeat – for any of us.

Please find a way to help me to help them. From final expenses to needing a safe inexpensive vehicle to replace the one that will be repossessed since Joyce can no longer pay for it to getting food on the table and a place that will look after Joyce's son so his father can work. Please help me to help them find a way forward. Please help me create a bridge back to more normal life.

I will be happy to share exactly how your donations are spent. Just ask. Thank you for listening as I let this story unfold and thank you for coming together and helping in whatever way you are able.

If you are able to help, we thank you and appreciate any help at all. If you cannot help financially, please share this, and that would be a huge help too.

There will be a Celebration of Life during the summer to give family and friends from out of State tome to plan for a trip to Georgia.

Date to be determined

@Michelle-Baker-386

$WilliamZeppSr

My Venmo and Cash App if your able to help and prefer not to use go fund me. All funds will go to Ricky and Keaton as they pick up the pieces of their life..