COUNTY LIFE
‘He was going to save my life;’ couple shares liver transplant
The Gresham family: Jessica, Mackenzie, Jonathan and Boadie. (Courtesy photo)
By BARBARA GREEN
In 2005 Jessica Gresham was a happy, healthy 23-year-old enjoying life with her high school sweetheart husband and raising their teenage daughter.
However, 13 years later she has battled a serious liver disease and is recovering from a live donor transplant provided by her husband Jonathan.
The transplant surgery took place on April 10 and on May 12 the couple was able to return home after four weeks at an onsite recovery apartment near Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.
For this close-knit family it has been a long road to finally discovering first what was making Jessica ill and how to deal with its effects as they further impacted her liver. Today, they are reveling in returning to their home just outside Bowie and focusing on getting better.
The Greshams are both hometown kids, born and raised in Bowie. Jessica is the daughter of Teresa and Bobby Staats and Jonathan the son of Nancy Gresham.
Jonathan graduated from Bowie High School in 1999 and two weeks later was at a U.S. Army boot camp fulfilling his dream to go into the military. He served eight years as a combat engineer and after active duty went into the National Guard, during which time he was deployed for a year to Iraq in 2005.
Jessica graduated in 2000 and they were married in May of her senior year. After she graduated she moved to Killeen where her husband was stationed at Fort Hood. Their family soon grew as Makenzie was born later that year.
After John returned home from Iraq he went to work running a motorgrader for two local companies before taking a job with GE Oil and Gas, where he has worked the past 10 years.
Getting sick
While her husband was deployed in the Middle East, Jessica began to get sick with what she first thought was her gall bladder. However, tests showed high liver numbers and her spleen was enlarged, so she was directed to a liver specialist who discovered her body was rejecting its liver. It was the beginning of many years of battling this disease only to be told in 2017 she would have to undergo a liver transplant.
Read the full feature in the weekend News.
Bowie will begin dressing up downtown during the annual Hanging of the Greens starting at 10 a.m. on Nov. 16.
On Saturday morning volunteers will gather to hang lighted garland and wreaths on the nearly 100 lamp posts throughout downtown Bowie. These sparkling decorations will light up the area for the Fantasy of Lights Christmas Festival the weekend of Dec. 7, as well as throughout the holiday season.
Any citizen, family, student, civic group or club is invited to take part. Those with questions may call the BCDB office at 872-6246. Volunteers will meet at city hall across from the BCDB office at Pecan and Mason to receive their supplies. Please bring along a step ladder.
It’s going to be a “Candy Cane Christmas” in Bowie this year during the Fantasy of Lights Christmas Festival on Dec. 7.
Event host, the Bowie Community Development Board is planning a full weekend of activities to help launch the holiday season in Bowie.
The lighted parade is one of the weekend’s highlights and those wishing to enter should remember the deadline is Nov. 16.
Dec. 6
Festival weekend begins with Sip & Stroll With Me from 5-8 p.m. on Dec. 6.
Throughout downtown participating merchants invite strollers to enjoy wine or other drinks, and other holiday munchies as they shop stores and meet retailers. There will be live music, a holiday photo booth, carriage rides and of course lots of shopping.
Wristbands may be purchased at any of the participating merchants for $15. Strollers will receive a wine glass with their wristband, but they also are welcome to use a previous glass. Proceeds go toward downtown beautification projects.
Dec. 7
Saturday offers a full array of family-fun activities to enjoy from pancakes to floats.
The City of Bowie Fire Department welcomes families to enjoy free Pancakes with Santa from 7 to 10 a.m. at the fire hall, 203 Walnut. Toy drive donations will be accepted and there will be photos with the Big Guy.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
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Montague County celebrated its veterans Monday during a program at the courthouse annex in Montague.
The young men of the Trail Life Troop 1309 of Bowie posted the colors offering the American and Texas flags, followed by the American Heritage Girls Troop 1031 also from Bowie who gave the pledge of allegiance. Thad Murphy gave a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem.
Jerry “Doc” Cody, Forestburg, was the guest speaker sharing a bit of his experience as a U.S. Army veteran. Cody is an active volunteer with the county veteran services office, which hosted Monday’s program.
After being drafted, he was inducted into the Army on June 13, 1967. After completing basic combat training, Cody went to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio where he trained as a combat medic.
After a 12-day leave he was sent to Vietnam where he served in the Central Highlands assigned to the 2/17th field artillery.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
Top photo – speaker Jerry Cody.
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