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In July 2018 , Jaycee ’ s condition – seldom stable – became critical . A medical helicopter rushed her to Oklahoma City . She died at 33 .
Joanie and Gregg Goss of Perkins remain inspired by their late daughter Jaycee as the volunteer to comfort and assist other parents of children with congenital heart disease .
Little Hearts and the Goss family .
In July 2018 , Jaycee ’ s condition – seldom stable – became critical . A medical helicopter rushed her to Oklahoma City . She died at 33 .
W hen a child becomes gravely ill , some parents are drawn closer to God . In Gregg ’ s case , it was much closer . “ Before I accepted Christ , I endured a tremendous amount of stress , anxiety and pressure to fix what was wrong with Jaycee . I felt that burden on my shoulders , and one thing that was unsettling was there was absolutely nothing in my power to save my daughter ,” he said .
“ I turned it over to God and prayed for strength and wisdom in the journey ” and made a 180-degree turn in his life , he said .
A fter Jaycee ’ s death , Gregg and Joanie were invited join with Mended Little Hearts board , and they immediately accepted . “ Gregg and Joanie have been nothing short of amazing ,” said Heidi Weaver . “ Their personal experience of having a child with heart disease allows them to really minister to our families . They have given talks about their experiences . They make themselves available whenever needed . They are true servants at heart . I don ’ t know any other couple who helps families in the same way .”
Joanie also is in charge of sending out “ Angel Boxes ” to Mended Little Heart families who have lost their “ heart warriors .” The boxes have a variety of items , such as forget-me-not flower seeds , personalized angel ornaments , and heart pins , for the parents .
“ Joanie personally picks what goes into each box , and you can tell everyone is packed with love ,” Weaver said
A n illness of a child puts tremendous stress on a marriage , and Gregg and Joanie were not immune from that emotional upheaval . But when the couple knew what Jaycee was dealing with , it pulled them together . “ We approached it as a team . We decided to run into it rather than away from it ,” Gregg said . Gregg and Joanie ’ s trials enable them to be authentic when visiting with parents . “ After a child passes away , every parent handles it differently . We want them to know there is hope ,” Joanie said .
In some cases , a grieving parent may return to work and temporarily escape the day-to-day thoughts of a child while the other spouse is at home surrounded by reminders . Communications often ceases . Some believe leaving their spouse will ease the pain , and some seek comfort in the arms of others .
When Gregg and Joanie are asked to help couples in crisis , sometimes their efforts are embraced and turn into enduring friendships . Other parents reject the opportunity . It is often in between .
“ Grief is such a strange situation . Some meet face to face . Some just want to communicate by e-mail or text ,” Gregg said . “ Some people don ’ t want to talk to us , and that ’ s OK . Gregg and Joanie also know the needs are sometimes less about emotional or spiritual guidance and more about a more practical hand . That inspired the couple to launch Jaycee ’ s Hearts of Hope , a sister organization to Mended Little Hearts that can offer families in crisis a tangible lift . A hotel room . Meals . Clothes . Gas or tires for a vehicle . A utility bill payment .
Joanie said at Christmas the home of a heart patient burned down , and Jaycee ’ s Hearts of Hope purchased new presents and other household items for the family of five .
“ A little girl was waiting at the hospital for quite a while for a heart transplant and has been separated from her four siblings . Jaycee ’ s Hearts of Hope paid for them to go to a movie with all the popcorn and treats for her and her family ,” she said .
Twice a year , Jaycee ’ s Jubilee is hosted at pumpkin patches in Oklahoma City and Tulsa areas . It is a reunion organized by Mended Little Hearts for families and survivors . Many families remain intact and strong , and the Gosses are often approached by parents who thank them for being there in the dark days .
Today , a plaque hangs on the wall at Oklahoma Children ’ s Hospital . It has a photo of a smiling Jaycee plus a message from her family to the hospital staff . It reads in part , “ May God richly bless each one of you as you work to make congenital heart patients and their families lives richer and fuller .”
G regg and Joanie ’ s lives are in transition . Retirement is approaching , maybe . Gregg , 67 , for the last 20 years has been a farrier and still enjoys the relationship with his clients , and they appreciate him .
“ Gregg is totally dependable . He ’ s very particular about his work . Meticulous . And he has a very good spirit .,” said Callie Creager , who with her husband , longtime Stillwater cowboy and rancher Trent , operate Creager Performance Horses .
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