Ryan Stone

Helping Our Family Through an Unexpected Crisis We opened our home to help a friend, his wife, and their two kids at a time when things were finally looking up for them. I was truly proud of the hard work he and his wife put in to create a better situation for their children and family. Our friend came to us asking for help with someone very close to him — his father — who needed real care after leaving the hospital. The situation was serious, and it was more than they could take on alone. What started as 40 hours of care quickly became full-time responsibility in our home so he could be in a safe environment. Our family has always believed that when someone is trying to build a better life, you help if you can. After his father became seriously ill, we agreed to take some of the pressure off the family. I had gone to school with the brother, so when our friend Drew asked, it felt like the right thing to do. What began as part-time help quickly turned into full-time care that limited our ability to leave home. The gentleman we were caring for quickly grew on us. We rearranged our lives, learned new skills as fast as we could, and gave everything we had for nearly two months. We wanted him to feel safe and cared for outside of a hospital environment, which also meant getting to know the wider family and helping create a support group around him. He was paralyzed from the chest down and required significant medical support, including a metal brace, a tracheal tube, and a feeding port. The wounds he was dealing with ultimately proved too advanced for us to manage safely at home. After doing everything we could, he had to return to the ICU, where he remains while we continue working to bring his family together and help find a more sustainable long-term situation for him. I took a couple of weeks off work to be fully present during this time. My company is currently in the middle of a buyout and transition, which has made my job situation uncertain. Because my work is also seasonal, our ability to absorb extra financial strain is limited right now. Our prayers go out to all the families affected by this incident — we cannot discuss the details. The road ahead includes medical recovery, but the situation has placed a heavy weight on multiple families at once. On top of everything else, my wife is disabled, recently had surgery, and is carrying a heavy emotional load. We still have three daughters living at home, and we are also caring for a beloved dog who is nearing the end of his life. The combination of these events has put our household — and the other families involved — under a great deal of stress. We are not asking for help because we regret opening our doors. We are asking because a series of sudden, overlapping hardships has left us unable to cover the basic costs of supporting the people we love — the gentleman fighting for his life in the ICU, also our close friend and his family,  Thank you for taking the time to understand the situation before us. If you are in a position to help, we sincerely appreciate any support. We also understand that not everyone is able to give, and that there are so many families in need right now. Any support will go toward: • Travel and time away from work so we can remain present during this critical period • Any help with housing and recovery-related costs while the work situation changes. • Basic household stability for our family during this stretch • The ongoing practical needs that come with supporting more than one person in crisis We are deeply grateful for any amount, and equally grateful for kind thoughts and prayers. This has been a season of trying to show up for others, and now we find ourselves needing the same kindness in return. Thank you for reading our story and for considering standing with a family that simply tried to help another family when it mattered. With sincere appreciation, Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!!