Stroke & Aneurysm Awareness
UNDERSTAND | RECOVERY | SUPPORT
Stroke & Aneurysm Awareness
UNDERSTAND | RECOVERY | SUPPORT
JoAnn's Journey
About JoAnn's Journey
On August 7th 2023, our family endured the worst day of our lives. This was the first time I heard the words "Subarachnoid Hemorrhage". I didn't know what it meant, but I knew it wasn't good. Over the course of the next few months, my mother went through multiple surgeries, procedures, tests, progress, and setbacks. Good days, bad days, in between days... Through the pain we suffered, a wealth of knowledge was gained. Through this process, there was no manual, no instructions, no true guidance beyond our natural instincts to survive and do what was best each step of the way for JoAnn's recovery. I took notes, googled terms, medicine, procedures, processes... if the doctors or staff said it, I retained it and researched it. I had to understand... I had to know... I had to be my mothers advocate. I knew her medicine schedule, what pills and IV's did what, what the numbers on the monitors meant, what new equipment was new in her room that day, watched YouTube videos of the procedures they requested to perform, learned to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit. Through this process I was not only determined to get my mother back to her old self, but once this was all over, to find a way to help others navigate tragedy with sound information to make educated decisions by joining the stroke and aneurysm awareness community.
Our Purpose
JoAnn's Journey has two main purposes:
1. To truly honor the legacy of JoAnn Ransford by doing what she did best; help others through difficult times in their lives, be it family, friend, coworker, or total stranger. JoAnn's warm and open heart was there!
2. To be a resource for others who may be on a similar path, who can learn through JoAnn's journey what we learned. We aim to provide a central place for information related to brain aneurysm and stroke awareness through our core values:
UNDERSTAND | RECOVERY | SUPPORT
This mission is achieved through:
- Educating the public on risk factors, warning signs, and immediate action steps.
- Empowering survivors through rehabilitation programs and support groups.
- Advocating for policy changes that ensure equitable access to stroke and aneurysm care.
- Fostering collaboration among healthcare professionals, researchers, and patient communities.
By upholding these core values, JoAnn’s Journey strives to create a future free from the devastation of aneurysm and stroke.
about Joann
JoAnn Thompson Ransford, born on June 27, 1948, passed away peacefully at Washington Hospital Center on Tuesday, November 21, 2023. She is survived by her son, Emon Ransford (Tamla), grandson, Emon II, and many loving family and extended family members and friends. A viewing will be held on Tuesday December 12, 2023 at 10:30am followed by a Homegoing Celebration at 11:30am at McGuire Funeral Home, 7400 Georgia Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C 20012. Interment Private.
The Life of JoAnn Thompson Ransford
Jo Ann Thompson Ransford was born on June 27, 1948. She was the only child of the late Ingria “Ing” Juanita Hodge Thompson and the late Joseph Thompson of Washington, DC. She departed this life on Tuesday, November 21, 2023 in Washington Hospital Center with her son, Emon Thompson Ransford at her side.
Jo Ann was adored by her mother, Ing. She was further doted upon by her loving and often described as “protective” grandmother, the late Marion Johnson Hodge known as “Mama.” She received tremendous love and support from her late Uncle James “Jimmie” Hodge and was later able to reciprocate that same love and support to her late cousin, James “Jabo” Hodge during his time of need. Later in life, Jo Ann provided the solitary care to both Mama and Ing with unflinching dedication, determination, and devotion.
Jo Ann attended the public schools of Washington, DC and graduated from Eastern High School in 1966. As an adult, she obtained a bachelor’s degree of Science from the University of Maryland in 1997. Jo Ann had over 45 years of service with the Federal government under the U.S. Department of the Interior. She began her federal career as a secretary, then moved on to become an EEO counselor. After retirement, she knew that there was more that she wanted to do with her time. She worked in the Anne Arundel public school system as a substitute teacher. This brought her much joy and delight in working with smaller children.
Jo Ann loved to travel for work and with friends and family. She has traveled to the Bahamas, Bermuda, Dominican Republic, New Orleans, Jamaica, Hawaii, Belize, Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Texas, Alaska, Mexico and The Caribbean just to name a few! She loved the casinos and was very friendly with the slot machines. She coined the phrase “ching-ching” and applied assigned the code name “church” to safely refer to her beloved casino’s! She loved to “ching-ching so much so that she and a long-time high school friend made a routine of “Take Out Tuesdays.” She had a bevy of girlfriends who were lovingly known as “The Golden Girls.” She had a very strong and loving relationship with her son, Emon, whom she was “crazy about.” However, only one person could eclipse that bond and that was of her grandson, Emon II, affectionately called “Tweety", aka " TP", aka " My Tweety Pie". The two of them were known to have fierce and competitive games of Uno and Tonk together during their weekly dates. She spent every Sunday with a newspaper in hand, reading them in her very particular order, scanning the local headlines and obituaries, a family tradition inherited from Mama. She loved music. Especially her lifelong love of Smokey Robinson, various Motown artist, Babyface, and more recently, Maxwell, and Bruno Mars. Jo Ann is survived by her son, Emon (Tamla), grandson Emon II, her cousin/godson, Victor Hodge, and many loving family and extended family members and friends. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.
"WE GOT SHIGITY TO DO" (Nani, 2023)
Dedication to My Mother
Dear Ma,
Hola Nani...!
Hola honey...!
If I could hear those words one more time. Hola honey... priceless. Nani, like we said everyday after I left your bedside, "we got shigity to do". I remember as you healed you changed it to "we got a WHOLE lot of shigity to do". Ma, this here is for you, for me, for us. If I can tell the story of your journey and help just one person avoid the pain I felt, feel, will feel... I have reached my goal. If I can help two people, watch out Ma, I may be able to help even more people! I know if you were still here, you would probably organize this site for me, and help me get things in order, oh I KNOW you would! But this here, this "to-do" item is all mine Ma. In your absence, your baby is trying to pick up the pieces and get the trains back on schedule. I am making additional purpose of your life and that is to help others, to be a resource for others, to be a light for others, to be a "you" for others.
More info to come ma i have so much more to say...
I love you.
Welcome! Join us on our mission to save lives today.
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