Hi! I’m Jen Johnson, now Jen Harpe. Steve and I got married on June 7, and it was a lovely day with our families and friends. We left for Punta Cana, DR that Monday, June 9. Steve was beginning to have terrible coughing episodes, but he kept a good attitude.
Fast forward to Thursday, June 12. Our breakfast had just been delivered to our room, but Steve was very unable to get out of bed for some reason. About 30 seconds later, I heard a thud and moaning. Steve had just collapsed and could not breathe. I rushed and called the doctor onsite. Upon her arrival, his oxygen was at 83%, and his lungs were filled with fluid. He was immediately transported to the ER in Punta Cana and admitted. He was voluntarily discharged Saturday evening as his oxygen was at 95%, and we thought things were looking good so he could enjoy his last two days at the resort.
Our flight left from Punta Cana to Charlotte on Monday, June 16. To make matters worse, our connecting flight to RDU was canceled, and we were stuck in Charlotte that evening. We finally landed in RDU Tuesday around 2 pm, and I drove us straight to the Duke Urgent Care in Brier Creek. Upon arrival, his blood pressure was 80/50 and oxygen at 80% – he was septic. I was also diagnosed with pneumonia; however, I am grateful that my symptoms aren’t nearly as bad as Steve’s. Steve has been at the Duke University Hospital and is under close observation to be stabilized. Yesterday morning, his blood pressure, pulse, and oxygen dropped significantly to 80%. He was sent for a CT scan for a possible stroke. In addition to that, he is now having blood clotting issues not only in his left lung but potentially his leg.
We have spent well over 30k in medical bills both in the Dominican Republic and USA. This has placed a significant burden on us financially as well as on our immediate families. Please continue to pray for Steve and his progress towards recovery.
