Aid for Roy Shirley, III and Family

On Thursday, December 31, Roy Shirley III, 27, a Type 1 diabetic was at home in Georgia when his blood sugars dropped so low he lost consciousness. His brother Bobby, who shares the home with Roy, saw him on the sofa passed out and tried to wake him. Roy was unresponsive, so he called 911. The paramedics arrived and gave him a shot of fast-acting glucose to bring him back. They told him to feed Roy and he should be good through the night. Bobby sat up with Roy for 45 minutes to make sure he would be okay, then went upstairs to bed. The next morning Bobby came down and once again found Roy unconscious on the sofa, only this time he looked much worse. His arms were stiff and he was completely unresponsive. Again, Bobby called 911, and again the paramedic showed up and gave him more fast-acting glucose, only this time they rushed him to Tanner Medical Center in Carrollton, Ga. Doctors determined that Roy was in a coma, and they hooked him up to a respirator. By trade, Roy is a fork lift driver. At the time this happened, he couldn't yet get health insurance through his job because he just started. Month after month, after bills and sending support to his children, he is limited on what he can afford. Fast food and cheap insulin from Walmart is how he gets by. When Roy tried to get on Medicaid, they told him he made too much money. He even tried to get on public assistance for health care and was shot down four separate times. He is just one of those people who keeps falling through the system cracks time after time and bottom line, that’s dangerous for what his condition requires. He requires the right resources to help him flourish going forward, if he wants to stay out of the hospital in the future. Whether that be a nurse that checks in with him periodically, outpatient counseling, a stable doctor, a nutritionist, or a diabetic education course. Roy is a devoted father to two young children, Elliott (4) and Paisley (1), and beloved uncle to two little girls, Cadence (5) and Raegan (2). Music is his life, he plays the guitar, piano and sings, like our father Roy Jr, who passed away on May 15, 2017. We all took the loss pretty hard, but Roy the most, his name sake. The depression alongside his up and down health didn’t help anything either. There are so many unknowns for Roy’s future right now, and all of them come with significant expenses. The main one right now being support for his brother Bobby, who is hurting financially to cover bills while Roy’s out of commission. But above all, we’d just like to have a little cushion to help Roy adjust to whatever his new life conditions are. Roy thankfully regained consciousness on Monday, January 4, but has a long road ahead of him. I am his sister, Jennifer, and I just wanted to thank everyone who reached out regarding Roy. He is doing better, but still not completely out of the woods just yet. I am beyond embarrassed to ask, but with this last minute flight from Philadelphia to Atlanta, having to extend our stay, planning for Roy’s help when he is released and just general living expenses while we are down here have exhausted our family. If anyone truly meant what they said, in helping us out during this horrific time, we would greatly appreciate any financial help. Thank you ❤️