Mission for Matt Vieira

Mission for Matt! Matthew Vieira is 34 years old, married to Antoinette (one of my managers) and the father of 2 boys, 14 year old Cameron and 12 year old Marcus who has Autism. Matt has been working on a job in San Diego California and was scheduled to come home last week to be part of the 10th annual Harbour Heights 5K/Half Marathon fundraiser for Autism. The event went on yesterday with the help of many family and friends, but mainly because of an incredibly strong woman Debbie, Matts mom. Antoinette and Steve (Matts father) could not be there in person but followed the event through Facebook and Internet streaming from Matts hospital room in San Diego. It took everything I had to keep my composure while helping Debbie yesterday and broke my heart to hear their son Marcus asking most of the day if he could talk to his dad. How do you explain to a child with Autism that his father was found non responsive, after having several strokes in his hotel room. That a hotel employee found him and started CPR while another team member called 911. Meanwhile Antoinette is here in Florida trying to reach him and has no idea what has happened or why he is not answering or calling her back. It's not until she gets concerned and calls the hotel front desk that she is told what happened and her world is turned inside out! This hit me right in the heart as at the time my husband was also out of state on a job. Antoinette and Steve caught the next flight to San Diego and were able to see him for a short time before he was taken into surgery to reduce the swelling in his brain. Matt is facing a long road to recovery and will need extensive rehabilitation that could go on for a year or more. The cost to have him transported once medically cleared will require an ambulance from San Diego to Florida and at a minimum will be $10,000. The medical bills I can't even begin to imagine how much they will be. Matt and Antoinette went from having 2 full time incomes to raise their sons and pay their bills to no income once their vacation/time off is exhausted. Sure she will have to apply for disability for Matt but that's not going to support a family and could take months to even a year to start. Please help bring him home so he can rehabilitate in Florida, be with his family and she can come back to work! Thank You!