John has been a valued member and major contributor of the HFMA South Texas Chapter over the years. After being involved in an accident last August, many of you have asked how they can help. His family has set up a GoFundMe account to cover some of their expenses, as insurance only covers a portion of the care he needs. To learn more, please read the letter from John’s daughter below.
Thank you,
The HFMA South Texas Board
GoFundMe
April 30 Update
Hello, all! As we inch into summer, we know so many of you are itching for an update. Robin has rearranged her life and relocated to be in Dallas at the rehabilitation almost full time. Meanwhile, John is continuing to improve and capabilities grow every week. He is responding well to rehab therapy and is fully ambulatory. Although he has not spoken yet, we are encouraged by his progress, attitude and strength. There is a long journey ahead, but he is well on his way back. We are continuing to limit visitations while he undergoes intense physical and mental rehabilitation, however we constantly update John to let him know of all those who continue to pray for his full recovery. Thank you all for your continued love, support, and encouragement during this time!
Created November 27, 2018 Many people know John Knighten as a friend, a business professional, a mentor. Many know him as the life of the party, the loudest laugh in the room, the dorky dance move, the one who stays up too late and wakes up too early, the helping hand when you need to get out of a sticky situation. To me, he’s the most wonderful father a girl could ask for. In 1997, after being sideswiped by another driver, my dad’s car rolled. He was able to get out of the car, but hundreds of pieces of glass from the driver’s side window cost him his left eye and blood was blinding his right. Disoriented and faint, he lost consciousness and fell over the freeway railing – over 40’ to the pavement below. What followed was emergency surgery, induced coma, more than 20 follow up surgeries, body casts, metal plates, screws, pins, and wires. While he recovered in the hospital, I came to sit by his bedside and do my math homework with him. He had a tube in his throat and couldn’t speak, but he used a whiteboard to communicate with me. Some days, he made it look so easy that I could forget he wasn’t supposed to be alive. At first, they said he wouldn’t live. Then they said he wouldn’t walk, wouldn’t talk, wouldn’t work. None of that turned out to be true. My dad did all those things and became an entrepreneur, dedicated mentor, and epicenter of strength and stability to his family and friends – all while being the best father anyone could hope to have. Everyone around him was able to thank their lucky stars and thank the universe for keeping him in our lives, against all odds. And then, our worst nightmares came true and my dad had to fight for his life yet again. On August 28th, during a long work stint in Rwanda, John suffered a health crisis that left him with a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and took away his ability to laugh, or dance, or teach. It’s been quite a journey: 4 weeks in a Rwandan ICU, trans-Atlantic air travel, 2 weeks in a US ICU. And just like my dad – against the odds – in the few short weeks he’s been back and in rehabilitation, he’s already regained the ability to walk with assistance, to eat and drink, and to smile. He has come so far, but there’s still a long road ahead. My dad is currently being treated at the Centre for Neuro Skills (CNS), a multi-disciplinary facility with a ground-breaking approach to therapy. We are completely confident in CNS and all the special people who work there – it is absolutely the BEST place for my dad to make as complete a recovery as is possible. Unfortunately, insurance only covers a little more than half the costs for long-term treatment and also involves deductibles, co-pays, out-of-pocket maximums, and procedures and medical equipment that fall outside HMO parameters… Needless to say the costs are adding up quickly. Many know John Knighten as a lot of things, but one thing almost everyone knows him for is his generosity. We are asking you to extend that generosity to his family and help us make absolutely sure he gets the best care available.
