Contributions for Chris & Family

Hi everyone. This is Melissa Heinig and I am Chris's older sister. I'm running this site for Chris and his family because he needs to focus on his recovery. In addition to taking care of any legal needs he has, I am doing my very best, with my wife by my side, to ensure his family is taken care of during this time. 

What happened? 

On July 10, 2016, Chris had a serious headache and decided to take a nap to see if he could resolve the pain. Unfortunately, he woke up with a massive headache, loss of vision and violent vomiting. His fiance, Ashley, rushed him to the emergency room where it was discovered that Chris was suffering from a brain bleed. Chris was in a life-threatening situation and was moved to the neuro ICU at Sparrow hospital in Lansing where he underwent multiple tests, including CT scans and MRIs. He is still in the neurology unit in the hospital and is expected to be there for at least another week. 

What did we find out?

Chris, at the age of 29, had a stroke.

As a result of this stroke, and the follow-up testing, it was discovered that Chris was born with a rare condition called Brain AVM (arteriovenous malformation). Some people who have this condition will never show symptoms and never know they have it; however, because Chris had a stroke, the AVM began bleeding into his brain. As a result, Chris is in extreme pain and has lost some of his vision. Due to the blood on his brain, the loss of vision may not return to normal again. 

Chris underwent surgery yesterday (7/12/16) and the neurosurgeon confirmed the AVM and stroke. He also confirmed that the active bleeding into his brain has stopped. We are incredibly thankful for this news. His next step is to have a second surgery that is called Endovascular embolization. This procedure has many risks and the risks are real, but without the surgery, there is a higher risk of another bleed. Another bleed can cause Chris to die. This surgery will hopefully cut off the source of blood to the AVM, which will prevent future bleeding. Chris will have this surgery early next week. Once this surgery is complete, he will likely still need to undergo radiation for a period of a few years to deal with anything that the endovascular emobilization can't touch. There is a chance of the emobilization will take care of 95% of the AVM, but that still leaves 5% remaining in his brain, which is not ideal. The doctor did state that 95% is considered a "good result."

What does Chris and his family need? 

As you know, Chris is engaged to a wonderful woman named Ashley. Together, they have a new home they just moved into last month. They also have three small children, Carly, Lolah and Brayden. Chris will remain in the hospital for the next week, at a minimum, until the next surgery is completed and it can be confirmed that he is out of the woods. Once he returns home, he will have years of follow up testing and procedures. 

Chris does not have insurance at this time. His medical bills are going to be astronomical. But, there are more pressing issues: Rent. Utilities. Food. 

For the next 6-8 weeks, maybe more, Chris will not be able to work or drive. Ashley will be responsible for taking care of all of their needs and this is a huge responsbility. I, as his attorney, will be working on taking care of things from a legal perspective and hopefully we can get him some help with medical bills. We just aren't sure yet. 

What will happen with your donation?

Ideally, I would like to see us raise enough money to pay their rent for at least three months, in advance, so they do not have to worry about this expense while he is recovering. I'm hoping we can start by covering his August rent. We all know how hard recovery after an injury or an illness requires low-stress, focus and rest. The last thing I want to see Chris dealing with is how to pay his rent, and worrying about being evicted.

Any help is appreciated. Anything. $1 will help. Rides will help. Babysitting will help. I can guarantee that Chris and his family will appreciate anything you can give. Every penny of your donations will go directly to Chris and his family. 

Chris is my kid brother and I love him dearly.

He's everyone's best friend.

He's a loving father and soon-to-be-husband to his fiance.

He's a mama's boy. 

He's there for anyone who needs him. 

He's hysterical. He's kind. He's caring. He's wonderful. 

Let's see if we can help him out. Please share this far and wide. 

Thank you for reading and for any help you can give.

Here's a link for more information on his condition and the upcoming surgery. 

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/brain-avm/home/ovc-20129992