Josie Marie Johnson was born Wednesday, April 14 at 1:07 p.m. In Amanda’s own words, “She’s doing great and we are madly in love with her.” Congratulations Amanda and Kevin!
The whirlwind courtship of Amanda and Kevin Johnson culminated in a fairy tale wedding in 2003. But the former Miss Oklahoma USA and college basketball coach wouldn’t have to wait long before they would be forced to face life’s challenges head-on. “It was 2007 and Kevin began complaining of a headache,” recalls Amanda. “By four in the morning, he was in so much pain that I had to rush him to the hospital. He was quickly diagnosed with a brain aneurysm.
“Because of the aneurysm’s location, there wasn’t a surgeon in Oklahoma that would operate, but thankfully we found a doctor in San Francisco to perform the procedure.”
The surgery was successful but Kevin suffered a number of side effects. He had to learn to walk again, and his speech was heavily slurred. He had to learn to talk again. “I was in an induced coma so I don’t remember anything about the first few weeks,” said Kevin. “When I did wake up, it was difficult to comprehend that I couldn’t walk and my ability to communicate was impaired. Even my maturity level was affected.”
Kevin flew back to Oklahoma City and spent six weeks at the Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation Center. “Amanda was my rock. She showed amazing patience, encouragement and strength,” said Kevin. “The next several months we spent going from one therapy appointment to the next. But the day finally came that I drove myself to Sonic, ordered something to drink and paid for it by myself. This was the turning point for me.” Since his recovery, Kevin has returned to work and just recently completed a half-marathon. But the Johnsons still had another hurdle to overcome.
“Prior to Kevin’s illness, we had been trying to start a family, but had been unable to get pregnant,” explains Amanda. “After Kevin recovered, we decided to try in vitro fertilization. The third, and what was to be our final try, worked! We are now pregnant with our daughter who is due in April.”
As a young couple, the Johnsons have faced – and overcome - their share of adversity. “I’ve lived the wedding vows; I know what they are all about. We take our commitment very seriously,” said Amanda. “There’s nothing you can’t work through. Even if you don’t feel like loving your spouse on hard days, you have the power to lead your heart.”