My name is Ava Mae McCarthy, I am 7 years old, and I wrote this with the help of my Pappa and Liberty. On Wednesday, October 12th, my dad, Chris McCarthy, was driving home from his job in Santa Barbara to our house in Buellton and had a bad accident. https://www.noozhawk.com/article/major_injuries_reported_in_highway_101_crash_in_western_goleta

It rained recently, and the trailer my dad’s truck was hauling began to slip and slide on the highway causing his truck to flip. Somehow my dad was able to pull himself out of the truck even though his legs were really hurt, it just shows you how strong my daddy is. The ambulance took him to Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, where they had to perform emergency surgery. I have visited him twice in the hospital, and the picture of me with my daddy was the first time I saw him after the accident. It was scary to see him that way, and I didn’t want to hurt him. I want him to go home with me, but he has to stay in the hospital for a long time and have more surgeries. Me and my Dad are a lot alike; we have lots of fun together, are very silly, and like to go on adventures together! It might be different when he comes home because he won’t be able to walk for a long time, but I don’t care because he makes me happy and feel safe. I hope I can make him feel happy when he comes home.

Chris McCarthy is 33 years old and a longtime resident of the Buellton area. Chris was raised by his father, Bob “Stick” McCarthy, who passed away last Spring.

Chris is the proud and doting Dad to Ava Mae and a loving partner to Cheyenne Bennett. As many of you know, Ava Mae was born with Pierre Robin’s syndrome. It has been a long road for their family since she was born, with hospital stays, long road trips to Madera Children’s Hospital in Fresno, and ongoing medical and dental issues that must be monitored as she grows. Regardless of having medical insurance, there has been a financial burden on their family for a long time.

Despite coping with the death of Chris’s Dad last Spring, it was beginning to feel like life was steadying for their family. Ava Mae is a thriving 2nd grader, and even with her dad’s rascally spirit, or maybe because of it, she has won the hearts of the teachers and administrators at Solvang Elementary School. There are still ongoing concerns regarding Pierre Robin’s Syndrome as she matures, but for the most part, she is a regular 7-year-old that loves school and spending time with friends and family.

Feeling a sense of normality for Ava Mae’s future, Chris and Cheyenne have been able to focus on how to make the dreams they have for their family a reality.

Chris’s accident last week feels like a blow to a family that was beginning to feel the hope of financial equilibrium and a glimmer of possibility of reaching their dreams in the future. His accident nearly left him an amputee, but by the grace of God and the incredible team at Cottage Hospital, his leg will be saved. It is going to be a long road to recovery. He has already had two surgeries and will have at least one more in the coming weeks. He will have to use a wheelchair for some time, maybe a year, to allow his leg to recover and build the strength in his “rebuilt” leg. The prognosis for full recovery is not hopeful, and he may have to use a wheelchair or walker for the rest of his life. Once healed enough to work, Chris will have to find a new line of work because he will no longer be able to do the work he was doing before the accident – construction and property management.

Their family will now face the daunting and familiar feeling of financial, physical, and mental uncertainty. Undoubtedly this will put their resilience and fortitude to the test and require them to ask for support from the community, family, and friends in a way they have never felt comfortable doing before.

Not only will they have unforeseen medical and physical therapy bills, but Chris will only receive 60% of his wages through unemployment, making the day-to-day living expenses challenging.

As many of you know, they live in rural Buellton up a dirt farm road with the beauty of the Santa Ynez Valley surrounding their small home. Their home will need to be outfitted to allow for Chris’s limited mobility in a wheelchair, allowing him to maneuver around his house comfortably and spend time on their front porch. Chris is an active guy who is rarely idle, so we are hopeful that the view from the porch will give him the feeling of expansiveness and nature that he is sure to miss.

Cheyenne will continue to work full-time, making numerous things a challenge while Chris recovers:

We hope you will consider helping Chris and his family through this challenging period. They are so grateful for the outpouring of love and support they have already received and humbly ask for your financial assistance as they navigate all the unknowns.