Help a 911 dispatcher with her own emergency

UPDATE: Katie has been home since Monday the 26th. After a few rough days, she is finally finding some balance (literally & figuratively) in every aspect. Her pain is still quite high & she's still using a walker, but she is doing a little better each day. She is expected to be out of work for 6 weeks - that's a pretty significant loss of income, in addition to the medical bills she will start receiving this week. She has her puppies home with her, & we all know how complete she feels with her girls home. She has been so humbled by this outpouring of love & support. Thank you everyone!

My name is Jess and I have been a 911 Dispatcher for over 13 years. I love my career - I love helping others, but also being a part of the chaos! But when the tragedy strikes close to home, there's no protocol for that. There's no telling us how to navigate that. For nearly my entire career, I've had the pleasure of working alongside, and becoming the greatest of friends with Katie LeFevre. Her personality radiates from her and people gravitate toward her. She is kind and compassionate. And while she prefers dogs over humans, she is a fantastic dispatcher!

On the evening of May 22nd, Katie's husband had to call 911 for her own traumatic accident. While rappelling down the face of Dixie Rock with her husband and son, Katie had a mishap. She doesn't remember what went wrong, but this resulted in her falling approximately 15 feet, landing directly on her back. She suffered multiple fractures of her thoracic spine. Her break was so severe, one of her vertebrae was split entirely in two, exposing her spinal cord. One wrong move and she could've been paralyzed.

The wonderful first responders who she dispatches for were so gentle in their care for her and saved her from further damage. She makes sure they go home at night, so it was important to them to ensure the same for her, and they did.

On May 23rd, Katie underwent a 5-hour surgery where they fused 4 vertebrae together with 8 screws and 2 rods. The doctor was nervous about the outcome of the surgery because of that exposed spinal cord, but he rocked it! Our Katie walks! She is on the road to recovery and the doctor expects a full one!

However, this will be a very long road for their entire family. They had high-deductible insurance at the time of the accident, so, not only will they accrue significant medical bills, they will also be losing her income while she is recovering and unable to work or drive. Katie has been a part-time employee since having their last child, Oliver, to focus on being the wonderful mother she is. This means she does not have the benefits of sick leave or paid time off. Her income was necessary for the dynamics of their family and contrary to their humble denial, they could use our help. This donation account will help with the loss of her income for daily bills, plus the increased expenses of her recovery and medical bills.

Anything helps! I know that they will be eternally grateful for any donation, large or small; positive vibes and prayers; or just sharing for others to see and help, too.

If you would prefer to Venmo, that is also accepted: @katielefevre