DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) — For the last year, it’s been a hard but incredible journey for Carol Nix who’s the wife and around-the-clock caregiver of Danny Nix — an Army veteran who was involved in a major accident.
“It’s really hard because it’s the first time having to care for somebody in a manner that has completely changed your path in life,” She said. “For all intended purposes he shouldn’t be here but by the grace of God he is.”
On June 8th, 2022, Nix was renovating the bathroom of their home on a humid day by trying to remove some boarding which was a hard task.
While Nix was working in the bathroom, she stumbled upon her husband who had collapsed on his back — she didn’t hear any commotion but believed he possibly overexerted himself.
“I turned him over and he took a deep breath and I did CPR on him, then the paramedics came and they had to jump-start his heart. They worked on him for 20 minutes, and he went into V-Fib and had to be in ICU for three weeks,” Nix said.
Although fortunately, Nix is still alive, the accident has caused him issues getting around and his short-term memory is sketchy.
20 years before the accident, Danny Nix, a Gordon native, served in the Army for 25 years in the infantry where he fought in the Gulf War. He retired from Fort Lewis Washington about a decade after the war and then moved back home with his wife.
His wife Carol is looking for help fulfilling her husband’s dream which was a work in progress before the injury. Nix’s passion is to rebuild a 1949 Ford F-150 from scratch.
With the Wiregrass being a veteran community, she’s hopeful someone will offer their expertise.
“We just need to find someone to get it together for him because I sure would like him to ride in that truck and say he did it,” She said.
Nix wants to thank family and friends who have helped with anything during the journey.
Nix is the cousin of Cottonwood native and former Alabama football great Curtis McGriff.
