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Our cousin, Kim (46), had a major stroke over 2,150 miles from her home in Delaware. It occurred in Utah during a road trip with her parents: our Uncle Jerry (70) & Aunt Marge (60's).
The stroke has PARALYZED Kim. The impacts are most devastating to the right side of her body.
The stroke also left her UNABLE TO TALK. This tears me up; she can't communicate.
When post-stroke improvement plateaued, the hospital alerted Kim's parents that they must relocate her by August 19, and suggested "taking her home". Clearly the distance from Kim's hospital bed in Utah to her home in Delaware didn't receive proper consideration when determining the deadline.
Kim IS NOT physically ready or healthy enough to travel such a distance using traditional, affordable means of transportation. A commercial flight lacks the medical equipment required, while the duration of an ambulance ride from Utah to the East Coast is out of the question for a person in Kim's fragile state. This dilemma brings us to the point of this fundraiser:
What Kim needs is a special flight equipped with all the latest hospital technology and trained medical professionals: an "Air-Ambulance". The use of such an aircraft, pilot, and staff is expensive and is NOT covered by insurance. Estimates most often range from $45,000 to $60,000. The cost of flying Kim home in an Air-Ambulance-- from Utah to Delaware-- is what this campaign aims to fund. In addition to getting Kim home, this fundraiser is also for Marge & Jerry, who have been by her side the entire time. Staying in a hotel every night (and the basic cost of living associated with being away from home) has been very expensive for Aunt Marge & Uncle Jerry. If donations exceed the cost of flying Kim home, it would be great to help Jerry and Marge with these costs. Let's raise enough to outright clear these expenses so they can focus on caring for Kim.
Unfortunately, the hospital's August 19 deadline is fast approaching so our fundraising teamwork must be swift if it's going to be effective; Time is of the essence.
Kim needs the comfort of home, where she can be surrounded by loved ones. This combination could be the catalyst that reignites physical improvements in Kim's health. Kim has two young daughters, Alicia and Melissa (both in their twenties). They haven't been able to fly out to Utah to visit their mom in the hospital. Why? They made a heart-wrenching decision to put their money towards helping fund the aforementioned Air-Ambulance flight rather than fly out to see their mom. I can't imagine how difficult it was to make that decision. Please keep Alicia & Melissa in mind while donating.
If Kim's parents were on our side of the campaign, they would be leading the cause for whoever needed help. Their hard work and selflessness is reflected in their occupations. Marge is a 30+ year employee of the Delaware schooling system. Jerry is a Navy Vet and retired Pipefitter/ member the local pipefitters' union. A dedication to helping and protecting others is clearly important to both.
Our mom's dad (our grandfather) died when she was just a kid. Obviously we never had the privilege of meeting him. My brother, sister, and I were supposed to grow up without a grandfather. Fortunately, this void was filled by Kim's dad, our beloved Uncle Jerry (he's the brother of our grandmother, mom's side). He decided that he was going to be the caring, helping, loving, grandfather-figure that all kids deserve. Just as he stepped in as our grandfather, he took on the role of father-figure and confidant to his nieces and nephews after each of their parents passed away. The scope of his guiding, loving leadership is fully realized when you consider that he is the youngest and only remaining of 11 children. He is truly the patriarch of the Gebhart family.
He stepped up for all of us. We need to step up for him. Between the unforeseen extended hotel stay and basic, everyday costs of living (food, gasoline, etc), being away from home is demanding thousands upon thousands of dollars out of Marge & Jerry's hard-earned money. We can help them pay off these expenses. Let's alleviate the financial burden and allow Uncle Jerry & Aunt Marge to focus on caring for Kim.
WE NEED TO GET HER HOME.
Goal of $30k:
1) WE NEED TO GET HER HOME.
Highest Priority. Kim's specialized flight back to Delaware helps everyone mentioned above.
2) Reducing or clearing Aunt Marge & Uncle Jerry's incurred living expenses while in Utah. As mentioned, if the cost of flying Kim home is less than the total amount raised by this campaign, excess should be used by Marge and Jerry to replace the thousands of dollars they spent out-of-pocket while away from home.
Donate and share this page, together we WILL make a difference!
All the love in the world.
This is my favorite picture of Kim. She's so funny. If you don't know her, you're missing out on one of the best personalities you'll ever meet.
The stroke has PARALYZED Kim. The impacts are most devastating to the right side of her body.
The stroke also left her UNABLE TO TALK. This tears me up; she can't communicate.
When post-stroke improvement plateaued, the hospital alerted Kim's parents that they must relocate her by August 19, and suggested "taking her home". Clearly the distance from Kim's hospital bed in Utah to her home in Delaware didn't receive proper consideration when determining the deadline.
Kim IS NOT physically ready or healthy enough to travel such a distance using traditional, affordable means of transportation. A commercial flight lacks the medical equipment required, while the duration of an ambulance ride from Utah to the East Coast is out of the question for a person in Kim's fragile state. This dilemma brings us to the point of this fundraiser:
What Kim needs is a special flight equipped with all the latest hospital technology and trained medical professionals: an "Air-Ambulance". The use of such an aircraft, pilot, and staff is expensive and is NOT covered by insurance. Estimates most often range from $45,000 to $60,000. The cost of flying Kim home in an Air-Ambulance-- from Utah to Delaware-- is what this campaign aims to fund. In addition to getting Kim home, this fundraiser is also for Marge & Jerry, who have been by her side the entire time. Staying in a hotel every night (and the basic cost of living associated with being away from home) has been very expensive for Aunt Marge & Uncle Jerry. If donations exceed the cost of flying Kim home, it would be great to help Jerry and Marge with these costs. Let's raise enough to outright clear these expenses so they can focus on caring for Kim.
Unfortunately, the hospital's August 19 deadline is fast approaching so our fundraising teamwork must be swift if it's going to be effective; Time is of the essence.
Kim needs the comfort of home, where she can be surrounded by loved ones. This combination could be the catalyst that reignites physical improvements in Kim's health. Kim has two young daughters, Alicia and Melissa (both in their twenties). They haven't been able to fly out to Utah to visit their mom in the hospital. Why? They made a heart-wrenching decision to put their money towards helping fund the aforementioned Air-Ambulance flight rather than fly out to see their mom. I can't imagine how difficult it was to make that decision. Please keep Alicia & Melissa in mind while donating.
If Kim's parents were on our side of the campaign, they would be leading the cause for whoever needed help. Their hard work and selflessness is reflected in their occupations. Marge is a 30+ year employee of the Delaware schooling system. Jerry is a Navy Vet and retired Pipefitter/ member the local pipefitters' union. A dedication to helping and protecting others is clearly important to both.
Our mom's dad (our grandfather) died when she was just a kid. Obviously we never had the privilege of meeting him. My brother, sister, and I were supposed to grow up without a grandfather. Fortunately, this void was filled by Kim's dad, our beloved Uncle Jerry (he's the brother of our grandmother, mom's side). He decided that he was going to be the caring, helping, loving, grandfather-figure that all kids deserve. Just as he stepped in as our grandfather, he took on the role of father-figure and confidant to his nieces and nephews after each of their parents passed away. The scope of his guiding, loving leadership is fully realized when you consider that he is the youngest and only remaining of 11 children. He is truly the patriarch of the Gebhart family.
He stepped up for all of us. We need to step up for him. Between the unforeseen extended hotel stay and basic, everyday costs of living (food, gasoline, etc), being away from home is demanding thousands upon thousands of dollars out of Marge & Jerry's hard-earned money. We can help them pay off these expenses. Let's alleviate the financial burden and allow Uncle Jerry & Aunt Marge to focus on caring for Kim.
WE NEED TO GET HER HOME.
Goal of $30k:
1) WE NEED TO GET HER HOME.
Highest Priority. Kim's specialized flight back to Delaware helps everyone mentioned above.
2) Reducing or clearing Aunt Marge & Uncle Jerry's incurred living expenses while in Utah. As mentioned, if the cost of flying Kim home is less than the total amount raised by this campaign, excess should be used by Marge and Jerry to replace the thousands of dollars they spent out-of-pocket while away from home.
Donate and share this page, together we WILL make a difference!
All the love in the world.
This is my favorite picture of Kim. She's so funny. If you don't know her, you're missing out on one of the best personalities you'll ever meet.Organizer and beneficiary
Jerome Gebhart
Beneficiary