James Jepson wants everyone who donated to a gofundme campaign to keep him from losing his home to know that he is grateful beyond words.
“It’s just overwhelming, the generosity,” Jepson told the Langley Advance Times.
“It’s a blessing.”
Launched by Donna Patterson, a family friend who describes herself as an “adopted sister” to Jepson, the campaign aimed to raise enough to keep him from losing his Langley City apartment while he was recuperating from quadruple bypass surgery that will leave him unable to work until June.
While it came up short, the online campaign has still raised enough for Jepson to keep a roof over his head while he looks for less expensive accommodations.
“That’s a little less stress,” Jepson commented.
“I’m good for a tiny bit.”
He would like to find a place that will allow him to keep his beloved orange tabby Chester.
“I’m hoping I can keep him,” he said, as Chester snuggled into his chest.
Jepson has turned off his cable and internet, which, along with careful shopping for food, will allow him to stay where he is until May.
Another positive development has been getting his disability benefits reinstated while he is recovering.
Jepson, 49, is a brain injury survivor who suffered a violent assault 25 years ago that left him with memory issues and PTSD and qualified him for financial disability assistance.
He worked hard to recover, trained for work as a security guard, and got off disability.
“I was making twice as much [working] as they were giving me,” he recalled.
Jepson’s heart problem was discovered when he ended up in the Langley Memorial Hospital psychiatric ward with severe depression following the end of a long-term relationship.
When doctors discovered he had high blood pressure, they ran tests that uncovered multiple blockages.
Jepson underwent surgery Dec. 27 at Royal Columbian Hospital and was transferred back to Langley Memorial Hospital to recover.
Doctors told him he wasn’y allowed to work for at least six months.
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Patterson said the people who contributed to the GoFundMe page with the title “man needs open heart surgery but will have no home” were real-life angels.
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