Police Officer Dad Needs Help!

We never thought we would need a GoFundMe page for our dad.  But our family is in crisis and we need help!

On November 10, 2015, our dad had just left our school where he was honored with other veterans at our school's Veteran's Day ceremony.  He was in a horrific car accident.  His new Ford Expedition 4x4 was totaled as our dad's car was broadsided on our dad's side by a Suburban.  The force of the impact spun our dad's car around. The other driver was unlicensed and at fault. Our dad hasn't been the same since the accident.  He suffered massive traumatic brain injury, plus back and neck damage.  He also lost some use of his left arm.  He cannot drive anymore and he had to cease all business operations since the accident.  He is an honorably retired and highly decorated police sergeant from the LAPD and started his own investigations and security firm, Mandala Investigations Inc.   He is a Certified Fraud Examiner.  Our dad still has to pay for rent, insurance and all of his special licenses.  He has been in the hospital five different times and has had multiple neck and back procedures.

But worst of all, he just isn't our same dad anymore.  We cannot have family dinners because the noise is too much. He wears cool custom earplugs all of the time because too many sounds overload his brain and triggers severe pain.  He wears sunglasses all of the time, even indoors because the light gives him excruciating headaches.  We cannot run up and jump on our dad to greet him because of how much his back hurts.  He has no more divided attention.  We all have to talk to him one on one.  He can't even schedule doctor appointments.  We will excitedly tell something to our dad and only moments later he doesn’t even remember the conversation.    

Along with physical pain, our dad is having a hard time emotionally.  Our dad was the best dad ever.  He was always interested in all our activities.  Dad had to give up being a Boy Scout leader, participating in Civil Air Patrol. He cannot watch us play soccer or compete at cheer competitions.  When he is not at the doctor or physical therapy, he has to stay where it is quiet and dark.   Victor's dream was for Dad to teach him to drive.  He is realizing that Dad will not be able to do that.  We used to do many fun things together with our Dad like build high powered rockets.  Right before the accident Sami and Dad built a high powered rocket together to commemorate her cheer team.  It was cute, but fierce.  Because of the accident, Dad has not been able to help her launch her rocket.  We had to cancel our annual family vacation to a mountain cabin we would rent for a week.

Our mom has been our hero.  She drives us everywhere while she takes care of our Dad night and day.  She does her best to fill in where she can.  But it has been very hard on her too.  She misses her husband of almost 25 years, and we see her cry sometimes because she is so sad.  She is beyond exhausted.

Then on February 15, 2016, Mom and Dad were coming home from Dad's physical therapy appointment and they were rear ended on the freeway by a huge truck.  Dad was asleep at the time with his seat reclined.  Mom said she saw his body thrown forward and get stopped by the seatbelt, but his head snapped forward and then backward like a rag doll.  Our mom said she was really scared. The paramedics took our Dad away to the hospital yet again.  Mom was also hurt, but she's going to be ok.  Dad's concussion got much worse, and his vision went from blurry to double.  He has more burning pain in his eyes and brain.  Additionally, he now has severe back pain.  He just spent his birthday in the hospital because of his intense back pain.

If that wasn't bad enough, our dad had shingles twice between the two accidents! UPDATE: Make that three times!  Wait, make that FOUR times!  The shingles are lighted up each time by the steroids they are injecting into his neck and spine.  But without the steroids he is in way too much pain to function.  Now he is on antivirals all of the time to hopefully prevent any more reaccurences.  

Dad is doing a lot of rehab so he can get better.  He does vision therapy weekly, and has eye homework every night.  He goes to physical therapy 3 times per week.  The pain from the vision therapy is an intense burning of his brain and eyes as he tries to rewire his brain to get his eyes to work together.  He sees a neurologist, a neuro-ophthalmologist, a neuro-psychologist, and a neuro-optometrist. Plus he sees an orthopedic surgeon, a cardiologist, an otolaryngologist, a pain management/anesthesiologist, an acupuncturist, and a therapist.  The concussion is so bad that it damaged more than one area of his brain, including areas that regulate his heart rhythm, rate and blood pressure, his eyes,  his hearing, his memory, his ability to balance, and his taste, just to name a few.  Since he cannot drive, he has to Uber to all his appointments.  He attends between 7 and 20 appointments per week.  His average Uber cost is $400-$500 per week.

Unfortunately, Dad has not been able to use Uber safely.  He got confused and lost.  Thank God for Dr. Maureen Plaumann, who helped him figure out where he should be.  She requested that Dad call her repeatedly until he was safely home.  Because of this frightening incident, Dad started being driven by people who knew him.  Since then, we have realized that Dad really needs help at every doctor appointment since his memory is so bad.  For example, Dad forgot that one doctor prescribed him new medication.  He looked in his bag and found prescriptions that he never filled.  He hired his friend Desiree to be his case manager, and it was great!  She really helped him!  She would text Dad and tell him to take his blood pressure and text a picture of the read out to her.  That’s the kind of oversight our Dad needs.  Unfortunately, she moved and can no longer be Dad’s case manager.  Now Mom and Dad are looking to hire a case manager.  Mom teaches school full time and cannot drive Dad to his appointments.  This is a part-time position that pays $500/week plus expenses.  Medical insurance will not pay for any of this.

We do carry uninsured motorist insurance.  However, it will take 2-3 years of litigation before the possibility of a settlement.  Even if we do get a settlement, our medical insurance will be taking 33% from the settlement.  The attorneys will be taking 40% of Dad’s settlement, plus their costs.  At the end of it, our Dad will get to keep only 15-20% of the settlement.  Additionally, Dad’s injuries are so severe that we are looking at the real possibility of exceeding policy limits.  Out of the 15-20% most of that will have been spent on Uber and the case manager to ensure that Dad receives the care he requires.  Since Dad was self-employed, he is not entitled to receive disability or workers’ compensation.  No insurance will compensate for Dad’s loss of earnings from his now shuttered business.

Our dad's medical bills are $245,000 and growing.  Our dad is only halfway through his therapy.  He has at least another 6 months of therapy and orthopedic surgeries to go.  We are very close to losing our house.  We are raising the money for his medical bills, expenses, loss of earnings, and transportation costs.  Our mom is a teacher who doesn't get paid over the summer.  Our parents spent all their savings already.  We are scared that we might have to move.  Our parents emptied the change cup so they could put gas in the car.

We want our dad to keep going to physical and vision therapy and to all his doctors.  The doctor’s say that some of his traumatic brain injury has become permanent, but continued therapy will still help Dad improve.  But he might not be able to go because it is so expensive.  Please help our dad to be our dad again.  He spent his career selflessly protecting others.  Now he needs your protection and help.  Please help protect him.   We will be so grateful to have him back.  That is the best gift anyone could give us.

Please consider sharing our appeal for our dad on your social media pages. 

Love & Prayers,

 

Victor, Nick and Sami

Victor-15, 10th grade

Nick-13, 8th grade

Sami-10, 5th grade