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.
By BARBARA GREEN
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A local retail clerk stepped up and stopped a phone scammer who was attempting to get an elderly woman to send them nearly $20,000 in gift cards.
Members of the Montague County Sheriff’s office recognized the clerk with a “Slam the Scam” award and presented it to Christy Hansen of CVS in Bowie on Thursday. Sheriff Marshall Thomas said Hansen went above and beyond what she had to do that day.
“Instead of just selling the cards and going on with her day, Christy stepped in to protect a CVS customer and Montague County resident from being scammed out of her hard-earned money. Christy then took time to explain that she recognized what was taking place and would not allow the scammer to steal money from the customer,” explained Thomas.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
(Top photo) (Left) Montague County Sheriff Marshall Thomas and Chief Deputy Jack Lawson presented Christy Hansen with a “Slam the Scam” award for her efforts to help save a local senior citizen from being scammed out of $19,500.
The members of the Red River Valley Tourism Association are proud to announce the second U.S. Hwy 82/287 Yard Sale event of the year which will occur the weekend following the Labor Day holiday.
This coordinates well as it falls on Second Monday Trade Days weekend in Bowie, Sept. 6-7. For those interested in participating in this yard sale for the Bowie area please contact the Bowie Community Development office for a free yard sale sign by calling 940-872-6246.
The Hwy. 82/287 Yard Sale spans more 400 miles from the far reaches of Texarkana to Quanah along the Red River. The event has grown in popularity is has its own Facebook page group that is extremely active year-round with posts on treasures and sales. It started with the first weekend in June and has expanded to a twice a year event. Just search Hwy 82/287 Yard Sale.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Win not only weekly bragging rights but how about some cold hard cash in the 13th annual Pigskin Picks.
Each Wednesday use your gridiron knowledge to select who you think will win a variety of high school, college and pro games. Those with the most correct answers will win $25 for first place and $15 for second.
Weekly entries are due to The Bowie News office, 200 Walnut, by 2 p.m. each Friday or email [email protected].
The first place winner each week will have their name go into the grand prize drawing at the end of the season with a change to win an American Hat valued at $750 and $450 in cash.
Thank you to our sponsors American Hat, Enderby Gas, Darren Gill Heating and Air Conditioning and Henry Insurance Agency.
Get your family involved to see who comes out on top or your office. Anyone can win.
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