Tom’s Road to Recovery

Hello, my name is Jen Hughes, a lifelong friend of the Moore family.

If you know anything about Tom Moore, you know he’d hate that this GoFundMe exists. He’d never want you to know he needs help.

But, unfortunately, he’s not in a position to argue right now.

On June 7th, Tom suffered a thrombotic stroke caused by a blood clot (thrombus) blocking the small vessels in the right side of his brain. This blockage likely developed from atherosclerotic plaque in the major arteries carrying blood from heart to brain. 

This blood clot blockage caused bleeding from the small vessels (capillaries) in the right side of his brain. This led to damage primarily weakness on the left side of his body, including his left arm and left leg; and vision loss in the left fields of both eyes. 

Since the initial stroke event there has been some further bleeding on the right side of his brain, which has somewhat slowed his recovery. He is receiving excellent care as needed, including antibiotics for a UTI, a feeding tube for nutrition, and oxygen support.

Because of the damage to his brain, Tom is still in the hospital, struggling to communicate and move. His speech is severely limited, as is his ability to move the left side of his body. He needs medical support to take care of basic needs, and has physical therapists treating him several times a day to help improve muscle function and movement.

Tom’s one phrase right now is “home”. He wants to return home and avoid what he definitely considers unnecessary attention.

In order for home to be a possibility, Tom will need additional medical procedures to prepare him for rehabilitation. He’ll require months of physical, occupational, and speech therapy at a recovery clinic, followed by months more at home. He’ll likely need sections of his home altered to accommodate a medical bed and other equipment.

The difficult financial reality of the situation is that Tom is retired. The incoming pension payments and medical insurance cover very small portions of what will be required.

Everyone who knows and loves Tom realizes this is not the way his golden years should turn out. He spent his entire career, post military years, working in the technology industry. He was the go-to guy for computers before most people owned a home PC. In his free time, he coached football, baseball, softball, and tennis helping hundreds of local kids learn what it means to visualize their potential. He taught computer, business and photography classes. He spent spare weekends as a wedding photographer, capturing other people’s most treasured moments.

Tom deserves the very best care over the coming months and years. He deserves a chance to reap the benefits of a hard-earned retirement. Any and all support is appreciated as Tom and his family embark on his long road to recovery.

Please join us in supporting Tom & his wife. Well-wishes, cards and any support is appreciated.