Hello! My name is Chris Large and the man in the photo is my husband, Nick Large. We met during the pandemic and instantly fell in love. I always joke that for an English bloke, he puts up with my idiosyncrasies (well, ADHD and OCD) very well. Three years ago, we married, and two years ago we purchased our home in Farmington, MN. What I thought would be the most joyous time in our lives instead seems to be crisis after crisis.

On September 06, 2024, I was in a horrible car accident. In a blink of an eye, life as I knew it was completely turned upside down.

What I know is that I was traveling at 50 MPH (I had the cruise control set). I don’t recall running in the back of a semi (yep – somehow, I managed to rear-end a semi!) My airbag deployed but didn’t inflate. To make it worse, I did have my seatbelt on, but it didn’t grab. I broke both the windshield and the dashboard with my head. I ended up with a brain bleed in the membrane that separates the two halves of the brain hemispheres. Cuz that wasn’t enough (why would it be?), hitting the dash with my forehead resulted in an extremely severe frontal lobe concussion.

And the steering wheel? Yep! Broke that too – with my chest, resulting in broken ribs, bruised lungs, and a condition where fluid gathers in the membrane surrounding the lungs (just imagine someone hitting you in the chest with a sledgehammer over and over).

After initial evaluation at the hospital, I was quickly transferred to a Trauma One facility, HCMC, which is equipped to deal with the severity of my injuries. I honestly don't remember much of this time at all. The only thing I clearly remember is when they were trying to determine my level of alertness. I was asked if Mickey Mouse was a dog or a horse. I just lay there puzzled, and finally said, "Ummm, he's not a MOUSE?" The EMT laughed a bit and told me I had given the correct response. Good thing they asked about Mickey because I am still having a hard time grasping that Hello Kitty is not a cat, but a girl dressed as a cat.

Here's a quick update: The bleed has stopped! YAY! My ribs will heal over time, as will my lungs. The kicker is the concussion. I was informed I may never work again, cognitively never drive again, have long-term short-term (HA! Funny!) memory issues, and that my personality may be permanently changed. When I got into a car for the first time the other day, I turned into a crying puddle, making me realize that I also have PTSD. I have a long recovery in front of me.

We have comprehensive insurance that covers up to $20,000 in medical expenses. I received a bill from the first hospital already - it was $30,000! I’m terrified of what the bill from the trauma center will be! Unfortunately, we weren’t in the best spot financially before this accident and now on top of everything, I’m terrified of how we will pay our mortgage (since I can’t work) or even afford the treatment and therapy I will most likely need for the next several years.

Between the financial burden we are facing and my long road to regain (most) of my health, I feel like we are hanging on to the piece of ice where Rose finally sees Jack slip under the water.

I am so grateful to friends, family, strangers, medical professionals, etc. who are pulling for me right now. I've never been in a situation like this, and I am trying to navigate it, but it would change our lives to get some relief from the ever-growing mountain of debt.

If you can help me financially with any amount, I will be eternally grateful! If you aren’t able to, I ask this then: please pray for my husband and me. We have a grace period of about 6 months - after that, we are at serious risk of losing our home.

Thank you so much,

Chrissy Large