Benefit for Tom Walls
Donation protected
On Monday July 30th Tom Walls, my dad, was traveling south on HWY 35 between Creston and Bigfork. He was returning home to Hot Springs after an evening ride up to Coram. At about 9:50 pm he hit a deer and lost control of his motorcycle. Thankfully HWY 35 is well traveled and a vehicle in the northbound lane immediately called and reported the accident.
Tom was taken to the hospital in Kalispell and has been in the ICU since Monday night. His list of injuries included:
A skull fracture with severe bruising of the brain
Numerous broken ribs on both the right and left side of his body resulting in a condition known as "Flail Chest"
Subcutaneous emphysema (air leaking from punctured lungs in to surrounding tissue and underneath the skin)
Two collapsed lungs
Severe lung bruising
A broken collar bone
He has been heavily sedated and unconscious since arriving at the hospital on Monday (I am writing this on Friday August 3rd).
Since arriving to the ICU and having family notified he has had family by his side nearly every second of the day. Family, both blood related and not, have been by his side every step of the way.
He has a long way to go before he'll even be close to "out of the woods." There are still many variables that will impact his recovery and care.
We are hopeful that he'll recover but no one can say how long that will take or what that recovery will look like in the end.
Thankfully Tom does have health insurance in the form of Medicare. But there will of course be costs associated with his care that may not be covered or may not be covered long term.
First and foremost the goal of this campaign is to make sure that my Dad is taken care of. He's in good hands with the staff at the hospital and will continue to be well cared for as long as he is there.
Like so many Americans his age he continued to do the work he could. Never stopping, never giving up, and rarely taking a break. Well now he's been forced to stop and on his behalf I'm asking for help from friends, family, and all those in between.
Money raised through this campaign will be spent to support Tom. That support will come in many forms. Some direct, some indirect.
Donations will be used to cover fuel costs of family members (myself and others) who are driving upwards of 120 miles (round trip) a day to see him; lodging costs for family members who travel greater distances should they need places to stay, payment of bills such as the clean-up, tow, and storage fee for his motorcycle following the wreck, payment of utilities/cellphone/etc while I work through the Flathead District court to petition for durable and medical Powers of Attorney/Conservatorship (without these I cannot legally act on his behalf or access his financial accounts in order to pay his bills). Funds raised will also be used in the future, as they are needed, to ensure the best care is available has Tom recovers.
In an effort to provide transparency and accountability I will manage the campaign and collect the funds raised. Receipts will be kept and made available upon request to anyone that has donated.
I will also provide updates on his condition as we move forward and he continues down the long road of recovery and rehabilitation.
I, my Dad, and the rest of his family thank you sincerely and honestly from the bottom of our hearts for any support you send his way. If anyone has questions I can be most easily reached by through the campaign contact feature. Please feel free to share this campaign far and wide.
With deepest gratitude and sincerity,
Dylan Waite
Tom was taken to the hospital in Kalispell and has been in the ICU since Monday night. His list of injuries included:
A skull fracture with severe bruising of the brain
Numerous broken ribs on both the right and left side of his body resulting in a condition known as "Flail Chest"
Subcutaneous emphysema (air leaking from punctured lungs in to surrounding tissue and underneath the skin)
Two collapsed lungs
Severe lung bruising
A broken collar bone
He has been heavily sedated and unconscious since arriving at the hospital on Monday (I am writing this on Friday August 3rd).
Since arriving to the ICU and having family notified he has had family by his side nearly every second of the day. Family, both blood related and not, have been by his side every step of the way.
He has a long way to go before he'll even be close to "out of the woods." There are still many variables that will impact his recovery and care.
We are hopeful that he'll recover but no one can say how long that will take or what that recovery will look like in the end.
Thankfully Tom does have health insurance in the form of Medicare. But there will of course be costs associated with his care that may not be covered or may not be covered long term.
First and foremost the goal of this campaign is to make sure that my Dad is taken care of. He's in good hands with the staff at the hospital and will continue to be well cared for as long as he is there.
Like so many Americans his age he continued to do the work he could. Never stopping, never giving up, and rarely taking a break. Well now he's been forced to stop and on his behalf I'm asking for help from friends, family, and all those in between.
Money raised through this campaign will be spent to support Tom. That support will come in many forms. Some direct, some indirect.
Donations will be used to cover fuel costs of family members (myself and others) who are driving upwards of 120 miles (round trip) a day to see him; lodging costs for family members who travel greater distances should they need places to stay, payment of bills such as the clean-up, tow, and storage fee for his motorcycle following the wreck, payment of utilities/cellphone/etc while I work through the Flathead District court to petition for durable and medical Powers of Attorney/Conservatorship (without these I cannot legally act on his behalf or access his financial accounts in order to pay his bills). Funds raised will also be used in the future, as they are needed, to ensure the best care is available has Tom recovers.
In an effort to provide transparency and accountability I will manage the campaign and collect the funds raised. Receipts will be kept and made available upon request to anyone that has donated.
I will also provide updates on his condition as we move forward and he continues down the long road of recovery and rehabilitation.
I, my Dad, and the rest of his family thank you sincerely and honestly from the bottom of our hearts for any support you send his way. If anyone has questions I can be most easily reached by through the campaign contact feature. Please feel free to share this campaign far and wide.
With deepest gratitude and sincerity,
Dylan Waite
Organizer
Dylan Tomas
Organizer
Polson, MT
