‘A life changer’: FPU track coach facing debilitating medical issues
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A long-time Fresno Pacific University track coach and former Edison Computech Middle School teacher is facing life-changing medical issues.
For about 15 years John Thiesen, known by his athletes as JT, has been suffering from debilitating pain stemming from herniated discs in his neck.
“Everybody has told me they couldn’t help me,” he described, talking about the years of trying to find a doctor who could provide him adequate care.
He said the issue started in 2007 and began to grow much worse after a surgery gone wrong in 2012.
“Pieces of the fusion were floating in my neck. And the discs above it and below it have become herniated. Now I didn’t just have problems in one area, I now had problems everywhere,” Thiesen said.
He said the pain has been so bad it impacts every aspect of his life. He has had to cut back from working full-time as a coach and educator, to part-time. Now for the past few years, he has not been able to work at all. He said it is quite the change from working overtime to mentoring and coaching the student-athletes in Fresno Pacific University’s track and field program.
Many of those athletes, including one of his track team recruits from his first year as coach, Misty Edomwande, have stayed in touch with him.
“There’s no way I would be here without him,” she described.
Misty said as a former foster child, she did not have biological parents to lean on, and help her adjust throughout college. But she said JT was there for her, like a father figure. And she said he did that for all of his athletes, no matter where they came from.
“He is a life changer. Anybody who has ever met him can attest, that he is a life changer,” she added.
Misty said when she learned how much his condition had advanced, she knew she had to help.
JT told her how he has since found the right doctor in the Bay Area, but that it’s not covered by insurance, leaving him and his wife to pay out of pocket.
She started a GoFundMe page for him, hoping it would allow him to access the treatment he needed.
JT initially said for weeks he was against taking any contributions, but he believes getting healthy is part of God’s plan for himself and others.
“I’m stubborn and I like to do it myself and I don’t like to rely on people. I just want to serve people. So if that’s how I have to get back, to serving people, is by accepting help. We’ve spent a lot of time fighting battles alone, so for this to happen it means a lot,” JT said.
If you’d like to donate, you may read more about JT and contribute by clicking this link.
