On May 25th of this year our dad, who is a dedicated husband, family man, Papa, and spiritual leader of our family suffered a fall and told us he thought he’d broken his neck. In the ER, doctors discovered a brain bleed and rushed him into emergency surgery. Miraculously, he pulled through. Within days, he was talking, sitting up, eating, and even starting physical therapy.
But something still wasn’t right.
He was in severe neck pain — every single day. We asked the doctors over and over again for an MRI. They assured us it was “just muscle soreness” and said swelling was normal. For over three weeks, they refused to look further.
During this time, he began declining. He started having seizures. He coded four times and had to receive CPR. Finally, after weeks of pleading, they performed the MRI… and what they found was devastating:
He had a broken neck this entire time.
Because of the delay, the spinal injury worsened. He had to have a pacemaker because the injury to his neck is what was causing his heart to stop (his heart was perfectly healthy) — at this moment our dad can not move from the neck down. Doctors say he may never regain movement in his arms or legs.
Prior to this he had never been in a hospital, suffered an injury, had any surgery. He was athletic, active, and involved with his family- full of life!
This didn’t have to happen.
We are devastated. We’re trying to support him in every way, and now we’re preparing for a lifetime of care, legal battles, and the overwhelming costs of serious spinal injury.
We are raising funds to cover:
• Medical expenses, rehab, and equipment
• Home modifications and full-time care
• Lost wages and financial strain on our family
• Legal fees to hold those responsible accountable
• Support for his wife who will be his caregiver throughout his recovery
Anything you can give — or simply sharing this story — means the world to us. We’re determined to give our dad the best quality of life possible after something no one should ever go through.
With love and gratitude,
Our family
