James' Experience - 2024

✨The Experience✨ 

Hardship Heroes is excited to share our Fall Hardship Heroes Experience! We have gifted James and his family some incredible opportunities to help them find some joy during this challenging time!

James and his wife Lisa will be enjoying a 2-day stay at a cozy cottage located on Apple Ridge Farm, where they’ll have the opportunity to relax and reconnect after a year full of uncertainties. Waiting at the cottage will be some goodies (more on that soon!) to make their stay extra special. They’ll also have the opportunity to enjoy a meal and some wine at Blue Ridge Winery right down the road!

To top off their Poconos getaway, James will be racing through Pocono Raceway, getting behind the wheel of a Nissan GTR Nismo! An absolutely unforgettable thrill after such a difficult year!

And because we believe in making magical memories, we’ve provided James and Lisa along with their 2 kids, with tickets to the Polar Express Train Ride in Phillipsburg! They’ll also receive a goodie basket filled with holiday pajamas, special hot chocolate mugs, their very own Polar Express punch ticket, and hot chocolate bombs for the perfect holiday experience!

This is what Hardship Heroes is all about, giving deserving families the chance to breathe, smile, and create new memories during some of the hardest times of their lives!

✨The Story✨

In April 2024, James' world was turned upside down when he suffered a stroke unknowingly at the time, caused by a congenital heart defect. Despite enduring multiple shoulder surgeries and preparing to return to his job on the railroad, this unexpected stroke has left him facing unimaginable medical and financial challenges.

After some testing, doctors discovered that James had a condition known as a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO), a small hole in the heart that had never closed after birth. The stroke was caused by a blood clot that had formed around the hole and traveled to his brain. In May, James underwent heart surgery to repair the defect, and during the procedure, doctors found an even thinner heart wall than expected, requiring a larger patch.

Now, James is navigating life on blood thinners, cholesterol medications, and restricted activities. His future with his job remains uncertain as he's been out of work for over 15 months.

Through it all, James continues to fight with the same love and devotion he's always shown to his family. Stories like James’ are why Hardship Heroes exists, to bring light, hope, and support to those enduring life’s toughest and unexpected battles.