Main fundraiser photo

My Brothers Accident and Hospital Bills

Donation protected



This is my big brother Herbert Svec. Herbert (age 60) and his wife Paulette are in a very difficult situation now since the accident and we haven't a clue on how things are going to end up. Herbert recently had a horrible accident on the H.E. Bailey Turnpike in Oklahoma when he fell asleep at the wheel while driving a Penske Rental Truck while towing a car helping his stepson move. The accident looked like a house exploded on the turnpike and everyone is amazed that he survived this accident. Herbert is a great guy who is an experienced Truck Driver for the last 30 years and in fact his most recent job was working as a truck driver for a moving van and storage company. Shortly before the accident he had lost his job and he has no insurance. He was self-employed and had been re-roofing houses that were damaged in a hail storm in southwest Oklahoma. Herbert had been in ICU at Oklahoma University Medical Center since the accident on October 8 through October 23. He is still in the hospital and making remarkable physical recovery as he has always been a very strong person, but the brain damage is still undetermined and slow in recovery. They have removed the tracheotomy and he is now breathing on his own ( 12 broken ribs and punctured lung ) but is still using a feeding tube from the broken jaw.
Herbert is now able to respond to some questions verbally but his eyes are still fixed in a stare, the responses are not always correct, and his recognition of family is inconsistent. Herbert will soon be moving to long term care but for now, he remains at OUMC awaiting more treatment and physical therapy which they will begin soon.
Paulette his wife has been camping out at the Hospital since he was first admitted as she lives about 2 hours away in Lawton. She had just been released from the hospital shortly before the accident and was undergoing some rehabilitation work herself. She also had her 86 year old father move in with them several months earlier and she was providing care for him as well. While sleeping in the waiting room her purse was stolen along with her phone, cash, credit cards, and drivers license, needless to say but it has been a difficult period for them before the accident, but now it is all very overwhelming.
The current situation is that he has no insurance, and certainly not prepared for the change that this accident has created. He was driving the truck alone, his stepson and wife were in another vehicle driving ahead, and so when he fell asleep and left the road at full speed the truck cab was sheared on the drivers side as he passed completely through the embankment of the highway underpass. Not sure what kind of insurance on the rental truck or what they are covering, so far, nothing has manifested.
He was Air-Evacuated to OUMC by helicopter and the trauma and ICU Doctors have done a tremendous job at saving his life but now the Medical Bills are coming in and the living expenses are piling up. Bankruptcy is inevitable and in the meantime Herbert's family stands to loose everything. While they are applying for Medicaid and government assistance to help with the cost, there will still be huge debt and bills they can't possibly pay.
This request is coming from me his brother, to help raise funds to keep the family from loosing their home and transportation, to provide funding for the hospital bills and living expenses until we can find out what kind of assistance that he will be eligible for through Medicaid.
Herbert has worked his whole life, he is a Veteran, he and Paulette have raised several grandchildren, they are taking care of her elderly father, he was not on Unemployment at the time of the accident as he was self-employed and un-insured working at roofing houses for his neighbors and family after a bad storm swept through their area.
I am hoping that by raising funds through GoFundMe this website we can keep Paulette and her father in her home, keep a their car in the driveway, and begin to work through the medical bills that are accumulating until we find out what kind of assistance they are eligible for. I am not sure at all what is possible and the thoughts and prayers from strangers, family, and friends have helped Herbert survive but now the reality is coming true for Herbert and Paulette.

Organizer

Allen Svec
Organizer
Cache, OK

Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

  • Easy

    Donate quickly and easily

  • Powerful

    Send help right to the people and causes you care about

  • Trusted

    Your donation is protected by the GoFundMe Giving Guarantee