Support Marshall Simmons' Stroke Recovery

As some of you may know, my dad, Marshall Simmons had a massive stroke on Tuesday, February 25th, 2025. This stroke was a very serious and severe stroke, in which he is currently still hospitalized for!

My dad has had 3 treated strokes in the hospital over the past 2-3 years and possibly 1-2 untreated strokes in the past few months. These previous strokes, he was able to recover for the most part from them and continue on a normal living life.

Then came the life changing, massive stroke on February 25th. This stroke has caused so much damage to him and has affected him physically, emotionally and mentally. He does have a newer hospital bed in the hospital, which has many functions beneficial to him, that includes the bed to set off alarms if he tries to get up. He is a high fall risk so when he tries to slide his legs off the bed, the bed alarms go off. He is very confused where he is, even when we explain to him where we are a few times a day! Some days he says we are at the store, some days we are at the dr office, but majority of the time, he seems to think he's at home! He's asked us to help walk him down his hallway so he can get in his bed (at his house.)

He is unable to stand by himself and needs assistance to help him stand, and he's only able to stand for a few minutes before he gets too tired and his legs want to give out on him. He is not able to roll over, sit up, or stand without the assistance of someone. Usually it takes 2 people to assist him in his basic needs in the hospital. He is very weak and has a hard time functioning with his hands and arms (some days are better then others.) He is on a "assisted with meals" special meal diet at the hospital where his food has to be cut up in tiny pieces because he is unable to swallow bigger bites of food, which causes him to choke. We have to monitor his eating and drinking at all times to make sure he is able to chew and swallow his food and water. He has days where it's difficult for him to swallow and he will choke on water, ice cream, etc. He has days where he's unable to hold a spoon or fork and feed himself, in which we assist him and we feed him and give him water, continuing to monitor his eating and drinking.

If you know my dad, then you know how independent and stubborn he is (I know where I get it from )

My dad was always on the go, so this "new" lifestyle will be a big change for him compared to what he's used to.

My dad was born and raised in Okeechobee and he loves this town and the people in it. He spent 47 of his 63 years at the Okeechobee Livestock Market, the only job he's ever had in his life. His health started to decline and became top priority since he was having the strokes. After 47 long years, he retired from the Livestock Market in January 2025.

With his retirement, he lost the only job income he had, other then the social security he's been receiving, which has since been placed on "hold."

*Currently, he does not have health insurance* We are working on getting that back for him.

The hospital, as well as family, are working together to try and get him transferred into a acute impatient rehab facility. This will give him intensive therapy to help with all his functions to try and regain his strength and mobility.

Once he completes rehab (when and if he gets accepted) he will not be able to return to his home and live alone for several months at the least.

The plan is to move dad in with us, to where he can receive around the clock care and I can assist him with his daily needs. With these new turn of events and significant changes for dad from the recent stroke, we will be relocating into a new house to help accommodate my dad's needs when he gets released.

This will also allow a home health care nurse, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speach therapy to visit him / or travel to as often as allowed. He will also be surrounded by his grandkids, family and we can continue to provide a semi-normal lifestyle for him.

I'm reaching out, asking for some help to provide him with the best possible care, in the hospital, rehab and when he transitions home. We are not set up yet with the things needed to accommodate him so any donations we receive will go towards his medical bills, insurance premium, and any accommodations he may need, including new furnishings suitable for him (hospital bed with bed alarms, lift chair, ramps, bathroom rails, etc.)

He's the only parent I have since I lost my mother when I was 2 years old. He raised me and did everything for me, now it's my turn to take care of him any way I can!!

I appreciate any donations we may receive on his behalf.