Help Zeke Recover

Accidents...... They suck. They are painful, traumatic, frustrating, terrifying, expensive and happen when you least expect them.

My friend, Phil has been going through the aftermath of a terrible, freak skateboarding accident with his fourteen year old son, Zeke. Lucky for Zeke he was with the right people (who acted quickly), is in the right place (Akron Children's Hospital), surrounded by his friends and family and is slowly on the mend.

I'll tell you what I know about his injuries, the impact they have on his family and on his recovery.... But first I want to tell you a little about the kid I am asking you to help. Zeke is fourteen and lives near Portage Lakes in the Akron, Ohio area. He is the kind of kid that I would think was cool and want to be friends with if I were a kid. He is responsible and funny. He loves his dog (Theo Huxtable Hootman). He is a great artist and has incredible taste in music. (Seriously, this kid has a more diverse, eclectic and down right awesome music collectionthan most people three times his age.) He is a big brother. He is considerate and kind. He plays video games and skateboards. He is a kid and plays hard. He gets hot on a ninety degree day and fails to wear a helmet on a short trip to the boat docks.....

Now imagine getting a phone call with sirens whaling in the back ground letting you know that there has been an accident and your kid is being transported by ambulance to the hospital. Imagine being told that he has road rash and probably a concussion. Imagine thinking he probably needs a few stitches and to not lay flat only to find out he needs to be rushed into surgery. Imagine waiting the six hours it took for the surgeons to open up your kids head to relieve the pressure from his swelling brain. Imaging knowing that your child is undergoing facial reconstruction due to the fractures on his skull. Imagine them looking for the source of internal bleeding and blood clots in his brain...........
Yeah, I'm not a parent, I can't even begin to fathom the anguish his family was going through.

After all that........ This kid is starting to recover. He is a freaking trooper! He still has a long road to recovery in front of him though. His family is in for a long journey as well. Zeke has medical insurance but an accident of this magnitude still carries a huge emotional and financial burden.

His parents & step parents are missing work. While FMLA may protect their positions at work it is often un-paid. In addition to lost wages there is the additional burden of new expenses. There is the gas to and from the hospital, meals in the cafeteria, co-pays and deductibles for everything from procedures to a stay in the PICU to neurologist to physical therapist. There will be prescriptions and follow ups all while trying to maintain their every day living expenses like rent and utilities while missing work.

There have been a few local businesses that have been quick to help! (New Philadelphia Buffalo Wild Wings & Be Yoga Studios, LLC in Dover) If you are unable to attend the event at B-Dubs (08/03/2016) or
the class hosted by Be Yoga (date TBD, they will post info on their Facebook page) you can donate directly to Zekes family through this GoFundMe campaign.

I wanted to take the opportunity to establish this GoFundMe just to relieve some of the burden on his family. They are wonderful, caring, hardworking folks. I have know the family for 26+ years and they are some of the best people you could ever be blessed by having in your life. I took it upon myself to initiate this on their behalf because I want their only focus and concern to be on the recovery of Zeke. All donations of any amount are greatly appreciated and go directly to them.

If you are unable to donate you can still help by spreading well wishes. He is still in the hospital and so long as he is there the AMAZING staff will deliver e-greetings to his room. You can send one to Zeke Hootman by following this link
Send Zeke Hootman a Get Well Soon card!