On Saturday, March 13, the Johns’ world was shaken and shattered. My beloved husband Bob suffered what we now know was a Hemorrhagic Stroke – a brain bleed brought on by untreated hypertension – and it was a total shock. (More specifically, it was on the right side – in his Basal Ganglia).

Many of you know us in person from Alpine Farmers Market, and our Texas Coffee Roasters business in Fort Davis, as well as my weekly column here in the Avalanche.

I write this on the one-week mark of our family tragedy. My husband has been in ICU at University Medical Center in El Paso, where I get to visit him only from 4-6 p.m. each day. This has been the hardest time of my life so far, and the road ahead of us will be rocky but navigable. He makes tremendous progress every day. I could go on and on but I won’t.

My sincerest gratitude goes to: Missy Cantrell of Fort Davis who dropped everything and came when I called, and brought her friend Darren, also trained medically. Our friends who are also our Fort Davis EMTs, saved my husband’s life by getting him safely to Big Bend Regional Medical Center’s emergency room, Matthew Miles, James Fowler and Trish Grado. Our dear friend Caleb Jagger who also came as soon as I called for help. To Dr. Pam Dalzell who talked me back from the edge while my husband was being loaded onto a gurney in our home.  Between the ER doctor and nurses, whose names escape me because it was such a flurry of shock and fright, and the Air Flight fellows that flew him safely to the hospital in El Paso, I am forever grateful.

Our dear friend and Avalanche editor Gail Yovanovich came to the ER the moment I contacted her, and I was no longer alone while we waited to get him loaded and on his way to El Paso… in the midst of a massive dust storm.

Many thanks to everyone that has supported us throughout these first steps of this journey. I can never thank all of you enough for saving my beloved husband’s life and being here for us.

With love and gratitude,
Krysta Johns