A Georgia grandfather who was celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary to his wife while on vacation has died after suffering a cardiac arrest.
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Brandon Baxter and his wife, Misty, were in Mexico when he became ill, according to a GoFundMe set up by the family. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
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“Misty was alone in a foreign country while her husband was treated in a hospital that was not suited to properly care for his critical condition,” family members said on GoFundMe. “Unable to communicate with anyone at the hospital due to the language barrier, Misty reached out to family and friends who thankfully, were able to quickly gather $18,000.00 to hire Air Evac International to evacuate Brandon from Mexico and transport him to Cleveland Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.”
Despite efforts to save him, Brandon Baxter was pronounced brain-dead. According to friends of the family, he was kept on life support for several days and died on Sunday after donating his organs. He was able to save three lives.
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The community is now rallying around Misty Baxter, who was a special needs teacher in Hiram and now teaches third grade. Her husband was the primary provider for the family.
“Teaching is her passion and she looks forward to being back in the classroom as soon as she’s ready to take that step,” family members said. “Being with her students and doing what she loves to do, and what she was meant to do, will surely help her with the healing process.”
Brandon Baxter was a dedicated grandfather and family man who lived in Paulding County his entire life.
“His sudden death has been not only emotionally damaging but has left his financially devastated,” a family friend told Channel 2 Action News.
According to the GoFundMe, Brandon Baxter didn’t have life insurance. The family hopes to raise $100,000 to help pay for medical and funeral expenses, as well as to help his wife stay in the family’s home.
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