Whether you are reading this as a friend of John, someone who knows John or because you have an interest in helping folk, we thank you for taking the time to read this bio for John Mooney and for any help you can provide.
If John Mooney entered your life at some stage, then you will remember this larger than life individual. A character with a strong personality and always noticeable. Larger than life yet intensely human, brilliant yet warm. An enormous personality, and yet quiet and humble. Generous to a heroic scale, a man that never met a stranger and one of the most kind and generous gentleman you could ever meet.
Sadly, John suffered an incomplete spinal cord injury on February 12th, 2021. It was the first day of the big Texas freeze! Whilst climbing 3 steps, at a local dry cleaner close to home in Magnolia, Texas, John slipped on a patch of ice causing him to fall backwards onto his neck damaging the Spinal Cord at the C3 vertebrate level, roughly in line with the chin He was subsequently taken via ambulance to hospital where he was operated on immediately.
The family were advised by his surgeon that the injuries would very likely cause paralysis from the neck down, this news turned everyone’s lives upside down. John remained in intensive care, fully bed ridden, for three weeks. During these three weeks, John began to breathe by himself for short periods of 3 to 4 hours and digest food unaided. With this level of mild self-support, John was transferred to the world renowned TIRR Hermann Memorial spinal rehabilitation Hospital located in the medical center in downtown, Houston. John remains at this facility where he continues to make improvements. The staff at TIRR Hermann Memorial Hospital have all grown to love and care for John and are doing a wonderful job in getting John ready for the life adjustments he is going to have to make. Upon arrival at TIRR 4 weeks ago, John was categorized a quadriplegic.
He could not breathe by himself and had little to no movement in his limbs. He could move his head up and down and from side-to-side only. During this past 4 weeks, John has made some major rehabilitation progress. Although each could be categorized as small changes, these developments are huge for John at this stage of his recovery. John now has controlled up and down movement in both shoulders, slight movement in his right wrist, small movement in his right foot/toes and is beginning to get slight sensation/movement in his legs. He can talk freely and after a long buildup of periodical breathing exercises, is now off his ventilator and breathing unaided.
Quadriplegia is the result of injury or illness, almost always affecting the spine. Though a paraplegic has lost the use only of his or her legs, quadriplegics are paralyzed in all four limbs.
As outlined above, there is a long way to go. The rehabilitation required for John to continue to improve does not come free in the US. The same can be said for all the lifestyle changes he is going to experience in the coming weeks and months. Doctors expect John to continue to make significant gains, but he needs help.
To assist John in continuing his improvements and to make the modifications to meet his needs when finally being released to go home, we are raising funds to assist John. His home will need to be modified to accommodate a wheelchair, install transfer hoist(s) and modify a bathroom. Funds are also required to meet the costs of ongoing round-the-clock nursing and caring services at home, plus to be able to order a disability vehicle that can accommodate John’s wheelchair.
The goal is simple - the initial target is to raise $250,000.00 and we ask you to help John and his family by donating to support the challenges John is going to face. Please use the link attached to this bio to make a donation to help John. No matter the amount, it will help.
A little more about John.
John is originally from Liverpool England where he was born in 1957. John attended St. Edwards school before joining the British Royal Navy in 1974. Whilst at school and in the Navy, John played and developed a deep-seated love of Rugby. A game he followed intensely wherever in the world he was living and attending the Rugby World Cup on many occasions, most recently in Japan in 2019.
John’s Navy career lasted for eight years, leaving the service in 1982 as a lead diver/munitions disposal expert. He is a Falkland War Veteran. John’s diving skills, honed in the Navy, were to form the bedrock of his career in the Underwater industry. John spent the next 17 years progressing his offshore oil & gas diving career in Saudi Arabia and Asia working with Algosaibi, McDermotts and OPI until he moved to Texas in 1999. In Texas, he joined the underwater contractor Cal Dive as a Project / Business Development Manager and latterly Vice President. John remained with Cal Dive until 2015. Recently John moved into a Business Development position within a locally based Acteon company, Deepwater Corrosion Services. John’s career has now spanned nearly 40 years, with his determination and positive frame of mind, he looks forward to returning to work, he just needs a little help to get him to that stage.
John has four grown children, 8 grandchildren, he is their pops, dad, friend, confidant, cook, teacher, protector. They look to him for every bump in the road and for every celebration. John has been married, to Pauline, a Liverpool Lass, for over twenty years and for her he is kind, caring, supportive and everything to everyone
Comments