Hello Everybody,

My name is Pamela Vincent. I am asking for donations to help my daughter

Ryan (Howard) Kavitky with funeral (and other related) expenses for her Father, Lee Davis Howard, who passed away on Tuesday, January 3, 2023 after a long battle from the effects of 2 strokes he suffered.

The strokes left Lee paralyzed on his left side and unable to breathe 100% on his own. From that moment on, his life consisted of lying on his back, on a ventilator to help him breathe and getting nutrition from a feeding tube.

Lee lived alone in a 4 plex in Hawthorne, California. He was suffering with several health issues and by no longer being able to work, he was pretty much home bound. Ryan always ordered groceries and meals for her Dad to help him out as much as she could considering the fact that She lives in Las Vegas.

Ryan became very alarmed when she tried to call her Dad on Saturday, February 26th because she hadn’t heard from him all day on Friday and all day on Saturday, which was quite unusual because they were in touch daily. Ryan called me on Saturday evening saying that she hadn’t been able to get in touch with her Dad and she was quite worried. I told her to call the Hawthorne Police Department and ask them to do a wellness check. They went to Lee’s apartment, knocked on the door and reported back to Ryan that there was no answer. After there was still no word from Lee by that next morning, I told Ryan to call for another wellness check. She did and they gave her the same report….that no one answered the door!!! I suggested that Ryan call one of his co-workers (at his job) to go to Lee’s apartment to look around. His friend went there, knocking on doors and windows and finally Lee called out to him for help!!! The doors and windows were locked. His friend dialed 911 and when the paramedics arrived, they had to break down the back door to get in, where they found Lee in his bedroom on the floor where he had fallen. He had been lying there, helpless, for 2 days!

He was rushed to the hospital, where Dr.’s quickly determined that Lee had fallen due to a stroke. Ryan and her husband Sterling immediately jumped in their car and drove to California from Las Vegas. As this was still during Covid, they would only allow one person PER DAY to visit a patient. During her hospital visit, Lee was talking to Ryan with only slightly slurred speech. She spent hours with her Dad, talking with him and playing his favorite music. Ryan went back to the hospital the next day, and Lee was a lot less responsive. Unfortunately he had suffered a 2nd stroke that did a LOT more damage. He was rushed into emergency surgery, where they had to relieve the pressure in his brain from hemorrhaging. It was several weeks before he woke up from that surgery!

Finally when Lee woke up, he was only opening his eyes, but with no connection at all. We were, of course, very alarmed!! No communication whatsoever. As time went by, Lee started connecting with his eves and trying to mouth words. He started moving his right arm and hand. We saw that as a sign of improvement!

Eventually they started putting a valve into his ventilator going into his throat and we could actually hear him talking to us! We then felt like his recovery was headed in the right direction!! One day when I was visiting him, he said to me:

“I just want a big bowl of good food”!!! I was waiting for the day when I could fill that request for him.

Lee was eventually transferred to the Simi Valley Healthcare Center, which was closer to me (in Moorpark) so that I could visit him more often. I would always call Ryan on Face time so that she and her Dad could have a video visit.

Lee went back and forth to the hospital due to infections, A-fib issues, Sepsis, Pneumonia and complications from several bed sores that he suffered from, along the way! Ryan flew back and forth several times from Las Vegas to visit her Dad, and Lee’s sisters (Mary and Lois) and his niece (Erica) made several trips from Detroit to visit and pray for Lee’s recovery.

Lee was truly suffering as he slowly continued to decline. Our hearts ached for him. He made it through the holiday season and into the New Year. On the morning of Tuesday, January 3, 2023 his oxygen level dropped very low. The ambulance was called and by the time he arrived at the Simi Valley Adventist Hospital, he had no pulse. Lee Davis Howard had taken his last breath as he quietly passed away.

We would be very thankful for your generous donations to help Ryan with funeral, burial and other related expenses to get his immediate family here from Detroit to attend his home going service.

Thanking you all in advance for your donations and your prayers.

May Lee Howard rest in Eternal Peace .

Sincerely,

Pamela Vincent