UpLifting Josh

Uplifting Josh….and his family this holiday season.

Josh and DeeDee Grant met in 2008 when Josh took a job at McDonald’s, where DeeDee worked. They started dating in 2009 and were married in 2010 when he was 32 years old and she was 22. Back then, looking at Josh, you wouldn’t have easily seen that he very nearly lost his life in May 2000.

Josh was operating a crane for an industrial steel fabrication plant when a cable snapped, dropping a 16-ton beam onto him. The weight crushed the middle of his body, causing internal bleeding and compound fractures to both wrists. Josh had to have major surgery that included removing a portion of his stomach, a kidney, parts of his large intestine, and a portion of his liver, resulting in an extended hospital stay.

Over the years, Josh has developed complications leading to an ongoing decrease in mobility. The first was when he developed a large blood clot just outside his liver that led to an experimental liver bypass surgery which installed a Mesocaval Shunt. Over the past 12 years, he’s been in and out of the hospital. Due to his now complicated anatomy and past surgeries, his core muscles and legs are no longer able to function properly. Josh is also a big guy at 6 foot 1 inches tall and is now no longer able to walk without assistance. He performs activities of daily living with the assistance of family and with the use of aids like a walker, a power wheelchair, and a commode.

The couple currently has a vehicle that is over 20 years old with a manual wheelchair lift on it that is very unreliable. It has electrical problems requiring frequent towing or jump-starting, and even the lift freezes at times. It’s becoming very difficult for Josh to get in and out of it, even with DeeDee’s assistance.

Josh is just a normal guy that had a life-changing moment of bad luck, and his family needs our help.

Michelle Morford of Country Financial, our pinnacle partner, reached out to Points for Profit to help this family in need this holiday season. We have found a one-owner 2012 Toyota Sienna that is specially equipped to allow Josh to drive his power wheelchair up into it to be transported where he needs to go. Best of all, whether Josh is having a strong or a weak day, he would be able to go to his medical appointments or on fun outings with his family.

Points for Profit is currently working on raising money to help this family reach their goal of $22,000 to purchase this van. We will have several fundraising events this holiday season to get us there:

Small Vendor Fairs: November 11th, 4-8pm and November 12th, from 10am-5pm at Santiam Place Wedding and Event Hall in Lebanon & December 10th from 10am-5pm, and 11th from 10am-3pm at Two Rivers Market, across from Taqueria Alonzo in Albany.

We will have a dessert walk at the December 9th, Annual Holiday Open House at Willamette Valley Christian Supply & Hallmark Gold Crown store in Heritage Mall.

Linn Lanes in Lebanon will host a Business sponsored afternoon bowl from 1:30-5pm on January 15th.

All proceeds from all these events will go to that fund. We know what a hard time so many are going through. We thank you, the generous and caring people of the mid-Willamette Valley. You have helped so many in our own community. Thank You. We hope you can help with Uplifting Josh and gifting him a better quality of life. For more information on how you can help, please email Points for Profit.

Make a Contribution