On Friday, August 1st, my family’s world shifted in ways we could never have imagined. That morning, my dad, Kevin Pepper, a man who has always been an anchor for so many people, was helping his oldest sister, age 87, who had suffered a medical emergency. He drove her to the hospital, where she was admitted to the ICU. Just hours later, while still at the hospital, his sister Lala (the one he’s lived with for the past two years) was rushed in with a severe head injury from a fall, requiring 12 stitches. It was an overwhelming day, but my dad did what he always does: he showed up for his sisters. Later that night, after finally returning home, he went to bed. Sometime in the early morning of Saturday, August 2nd, my dad suffered an Acute Ischemia Left Middle Cerebral Artery Stroke. We We don’t know exactly how long he had been experiencing symptoms, but it was estimated between six and ten hours before an ambulance brought him to the hospital in Kittanning. From there, he was life-flighted to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, where a surgical team performed an emergency thrombectomy to remove the clot that had traveled from his heart to his brain. The surgery was successful, but within 24 hours, he suffered a second stroke. This one causing significant damage to the left side of his brain, while affecting the temporal and frontal lobes along with his carotid artery. Doctors told us the reality: if my dad survived, he would likely require 24/7 care for the rest of his life. As his advocate, I was forced to face some of the hardest conversations we’ve ever had; ones we had previously shared during his critical illness in 2023 about his end-of-life wishes. In those first days, the messages of support, prayers, and offers of help from friends, neighbors, and our extended community were the only thing holding me upright. By the grace of God, I write this today, eight days later, to say that my dad is still here. On Thursday, August 7th, they were able to remove his life support, and on Saturday, August 9th, he was moved out of ICU into the stroke recovery unit. His progress is fragile. Some days we take a step forward, others we slide back, but we are holding onto each small victory. I live in Florida with my husband and daughter, and my plan is to commute weekly between Pittsburgh and Florida to be by my dad’s side as often as possible. I’ll be working closely with his care team, advocating for him, and helping make decisions about his next chapter, whatever that looks like. This is all while managing my own significant health challenges, including a congenital heart defect and an aortic aneurysm nearing the threshold for surgical repair. I am blessed with a circle of family and friends who have already shown extraordinary kindness; offering rides, meals, places to stay, and helping support Jon and Olivia back home while I focus on my dad’s recovery. I created this Give In Kind page as a centralized place for: • Updates on my dad’s recovery • A calendar of needs for those who wish to help in specific ways • A link to our GoFundMe for anyone who wants to contribute financially toward travel, care, and support expenses • Any unique resources you have to offer: From pro-bono law services to FMLA leave advisement or even airline miles sharing. I don’t know what I don’t know yet and thinking outside the box is welcome. We don’t know exactly what the road ahead will look like, but I do know we’re not walking it alone. From the bottom of my heart , thank you for every prayer, every message, every act of love. It means more than words can ever say. With love and gratitude, Shawna Pepper Simcic