Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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Brooke Walker reporting When a Payson man and father of five died unexpectedly last fall, it left his family devastated.
With no income and no insurance, Jessica Hall was faced with the challenge of raising her five young children alone. But through all her pain, she also experienced an enormous outpouring of love and support. That's the subject of today's High 5.
Jim Hall and his 6-year-old son survived a rollover accident while on a hunting trip back in October. They walked nearly 15 miles before a search and rescue crew finally found them.
At the time, Jim had no idea he had a broken back. When he made it into the hospital, doctors scheduled surgery for a couple of days later and sent him home to rest. Jim went to sleep that night and never woke up.
"My daddy's up in heaven because he died," his son said. Even though the explanation might seem easy to say, words cannot describe the loss this family experienced. It was a tragedy the entire community embraced. Immediately, plans were made for a benefit concert.
Local artists, such as Peter Breinholdt and Alex Boye, donated their talent. Neighbors, friends and even strangers donated their time. Thirty-thousand dollars later, Jessica Hall couldn't believe it.
She wanted to thank three women in particular -- Heather Bartholomew, Jessica Witcherly and Angela Nelson -- who went above and beyond to help. So while they were having a little lunch out, we decided to drop by and surprise them with a High 5.
Jessica Hall said, "I brought you all here to thank you so much for everything you have done for me. All to help me in a time of need, and I'm so grateful. I just wanted to tell them thank you."
Angela Nelson helped raise funds. She said, "As soon as I heard, I went over to her house and wanted to do anything I possibly could to help."
Heather Bartholomew organized the benefit concert. "We just felt an overwhelming urge that we needed to do something to help her," she said.
Jessica Witcherly also organized the concert. "When I heard Jim died, my heart broke. I knew I needed to do something. The only way I felt better about life, to heal my heart, was to do something," she said.
Jessica Hall said, "You meet people in your life that help, but these women have gone so beyond and have given so much of themselves. I just wanted them to know I will forever be grateful for what they have done for me and my family."
Autopsy results came back last week, but were inconclusive. That was hard news for Jessica. She was hoping for some sort of closure. But she says once again, she's relying on support from family, friends and the community to help get her through.
If you have someone you would like to nominate for a High 5, visit the link on this page.
