- R
- S
It’s not an easy thing to do, but there comes a time in peoples lives where they will feel moved to ask for help. This is that time for us.
As you have all been checking in and offering your help, we continue to learn more about Billy’s full scope of injury, surgery, recovery, and future needs.
I am setting this up as many have said they would like to contribute. Only a few days into this nightmare, I cannot stress about the financial prognosis ahead.
I am just so grateful that the love of my life is alive and well, and more than so. He banged himself up gooood. But it could have been so much worse! Every time I think that I catch my breath, and relive the moment - I knew I could lose him forever.
As we walked the trail tracing along the shoreline to reach a true gem of Maui, Red Sand Beach, Billy twisted his ankle. Trying to catch his balance, maneuvering away from the cliff, he tried to fall back safely on the trail and proceeded to slide across the less than two feet wide trail face towards the edge of the shoreline. He was able to adjust himself to face forward before the straight drop, further launched forward by the momentum. He fell 10-15 feet, landing onto his upper body, right arm, the force slamming his head into a large lava rock below stuck in the ground made up of pine needles, sand, small lava stones, leaves, and old tree barks and sticks,
Instincts kick in - the first thing was getting to him. The moment he hit he turned around and made eye contact with me. I threw a towel down. The frontal lobe injury was the first I saw, and based on the bleeding and tissue movement I witnessed I told him to hold his forehead together and apply pressure to stop the pouring blood.
During my small hike down tree roots and rocks, I made it to where he had turned himself over on his back. A woman and her dog and another man fortunately nearby called 911. The man got to him first wrapping his head in a towel ( I wish I could thank them). I positioned Billy’s head on my knees so he didn’t have to hold himself up, and took over applying pressure. He was already talking and assessing what he felt: that his left ankle was definitely broken and something very wrong with his right arm.
Having felt like his face had fallen off, sagging from the hairline to just above his eyebrows, we made sure to assess the gash. We took immediate action to place the skin and stop excess bleeding.
He was air lifted from the beach on a basket by fire rescue helicopter and then transferred to a medical ambulance to Hana airport, then a medical transport helicopter to bring him to the hospital in Wailuku. His flight time from Hana to the one medical center on Maui, located centrally, was 10 minutes. I drove back the two hour winding road through bamboo/rain forest from Hana to get to him.
I have never been so scared.
As I ask our friends and family to see what they can do to help, know that your positivity, well-wishes, and messages have all been heard thus far and we are filled with boundless gratitude for the love, thoughts and prayers that you have shared.
You all know my man to be one of the most positive, intelligent, thoughtful, bright, spirited, badass, endless channels of light that we have the privilege to witness walk this earth...and I want you all to know that this accident, from the moments in which it happened has not phased him at all! Conscious through the whole experience,
he couldn’t even hold back a joke with the first paramedic that showed up. He went through the first day as if he was getting through a marathon sporting event like a fucking champ.
What was originally scheduled for 4 hours of surgery turned into a 10 hour surgery on Sunday, roughly 24 hours after the fall. No complications except that their initial view into his right elbow and arm did not show the severity of the break. His radial head was in pieces, which had to be removed and replaced. He has 15-20 pins in the ulnar and a plate connecting the forearm to the bottom of the elbow. In the left ankle, a plate and pins were installed as he broken the inside and outside bones.
Right arm, left ankle. 20 stitches and 12 staples in his forehead. They pulled a small pine cone from the deep gash across his hairline after cutting the clothes off his body inside the ER.
He is in the best spirits and in the best care. All the staff at Maui Memorial Medical Center have been so attentive and sensitive and professional. Shout out to Nurses Sharon, Sheila, Hillary, and Rozz, Allan the nurse aide, therapists Jon and Chiemi, case worker Jan, and Dr. Thielen’s operating staff. They have all been great and played such important roles in the early stages of recovery.
Billy cannot place any pressure what so ever on the his left leg for at least 8 weeks. His right arm will never fully recover range of motion, and the length of rehab for the elbow injury alone is indefinite.
I was not able to see him physically until 5 days after I watched the helicopter leave my view, due to COVID-19 restrictions in hospitals
The mixed emotions are heavy. I am heartbroken, and full of unfathomable gratitude. I am motivated and getting everything in order for his transfer to San Diego, where our local health care provider and insurance have only made the process more and more difficult with their business approach.
Thank you to our friends and family who haven’t let a moment go by without making sure he and I know you are thinking of us. We love you so much.
His recovery ahead will be hard, but nothing we can’t handle together.
We deeply appreciate any gesture you make - whether through this go fund me, kind words, positive energy, or otherwise. Words will never express our gratitude, and we will always pay it forward. We thank you all so much for any consideration in assisting us with the mounting financial hardship that this freak accident has set in motion.
We love you all!
Billy and Chance
Note from the organizer:
Billy and Chance have the type of marriage that many, including myself, dream of. They are best friends and always there for each other. Billy and I have went from acquaintances to friends in a short period. We love discussing the stock market. Billy has always made me laugh and for that I love him even more!
I am thankful that they are letting me help them get this GoFundMe going. The financial burden that a catastrophic event can leave on a family can be brutal.
Chance and I will post updates on estimated costs and goals to help them through these difficult times.
I wish Billy the best in his recovery and look forward to helping the Bruce family in any way that I can.
100% of the proceeds raised will go towards the Emergency and Recovery Medical Bills that the Bruce family faces. Everything is appreciated including kind notes, well wishes, and loving vibes.
Please reach out to Chance or myself if we can answer any questions.
Chance and I hope to organize in person fundraisers as well. Stay tuned!
Daniel Kleist
As you have all been checking in and offering your help, we continue to learn more about Billy’s full scope of injury, surgery, recovery, and future needs.
I am setting this up as many have said they would like to contribute. Only a few days into this nightmare, I cannot stress about the financial prognosis ahead.
I am just so grateful that the love of my life is alive and well, and more than so. He banged himself up gooood. But it could have been so much worse! Every time I think that I catch my breath, and relive the moment - I knew I could lose him forever.
As we walked the trail tracing along the shoreline to reach a true gem of Maui, Red Sand Beach, Billy twisted his ankle. Trying to catch his balance, maneuvering away from the cliff, he tried to fall back safely on the trail and proceeded to slide across the less than two feet wide trail face towards the edge of the shoreline. He was able to adjust himself to face forward before the straight drop, further launched forward by the momentum. He fell 10-15 feet, landing onto his upper body, right arm, the force slamming his head into a large lava rock below stuck in the ground made up of pine needles, sand, small lava stones, leaves, and old tree barks and sticks,
Instincts kick in - the first thing was getting to him. The moment he hit he turned around and made eye contact with me. I threw a towel down. The frontal lobe injury was the first I saw, and based on the bleeding and tissue movement I witnessed I told him to hold his forehead together and apply pressure to stop the pouring blood.
During my small hike down tree roots and rocks, I made it to where he had turned himself over on his back. A woman and her dog and another man fortunately nearby called 911. The man got to him first wrapping his head in a towel ( I wish I could thank them). I positioned Billy’s head on my knees so he didn’t have to hold himself up, and took over applying pressure. He was already talking and assessing what he felt: that his left ankle was definitely broken and something very wrong with his right arm.
Having felt like his face had fallen off, sagging from the hairline to just above his eyebrows, we made sure to assess the gash. We took immediate action to place the skin and stop excess bleeding.
He was air lifted from the beach on a basket by fire rescue helicopter and then transferred to a medical ambulance to Hana airport, then a medical transport helicopter to bring him to the hospital in Wailuku. His flight time from Hana to the one medical center on Maui, located centrally, was 10 minutes. I drove back the two hour winding road through bamboo/rain forest from Hana to get to him.
I have never been so scared.
As I ask our friends and family to see what they can do to help, know that your positivity, well-wishes, and messages have all been heard thus far and we are filled with boundless gratitude for the love, thoughts and prayers that you have shared.
You all know my man to be one of the most positive, intelligent, thoughtful, bright, spirited, badass, endless channels of light that we have the privilege to witness walk this earth...and I want you all to know that this accident, from the moments in which it happened has not phased him at all! Conscious through the whole experience,
he couldn’t even hold back a joke with the first paramedic that showed up. He went through the first day as if he was getting through a marathon sporting event like a fucking champ.
What was originally scheduled for 4 hours of surgery turned into a 10 hour surgery on Sunday, roughly 24 hours after the fall. No complications except that their initial view into his right elbow and arm did not show the severity of the break. His radial head was in pieces, which had to be removed and replaced. He has 15-20 pins in the ulnar and a plate connecting the forearm to the bottom of the elbow. In the left ankle, a plate and pins were installed as he broken the inside and outside bones.
Right arm, left ankle. 20 stitches and 12 staples in his forehead. They pulled a small pine cone from the deep gash across his hairline after cutting the clothes off his body inside the ER.
He is in the best spirits and in the best care. All the staff at Maui Memorial Medical Center have been so attentive and sensitive and professional. Shout out to Nurses Sharon, Sheila, Hillary, and Rozz, Allan the nurse aide, therapists Jon and Chiemi, case worker Jan, and Dr. Thielen’s operating staff. They have all been great and played such important roles in the early stages of recovery.
Billy cannot place any pressure what so ever on the his left leg for at least 8 weeks. His right arm will never fully recover range of motion, and the length of rehab for the elbow injury alone is indefinite.
I was not able to see him physically until 5 days after I watched the helicopter leave my view, due to COVID-19 restrictions in hospitals
The mixed emotions are heavy. I am heartbroken, and full of unfathomable gratitude. I am motivated and getting everything in order for his transfer to San Diego, where our local health care provider and insurance have only made the process more and more difficult with their business approach.
Thank you to our friends and family who haven’t let a moment go by without making sure he and I know you are thinking of us. We love you so much.
His recovery ahead will be hard, but nothing we can’t handle together.
We deeply appreciate any gesture you make - whether through this go fund me, kind words, positive energy, or otherwise. Words will never express our gratitude, and we will always pay it forward. We thank you all so much for any consideration in assisting us with the mounting financial hardship that this freak accident has set in motion.
We love you all!
Billy and Chance
Note from the organizer:
Billy and Chance have the type of marriage that many, including myself, dream of. They are best friends and always there for each other. Billy and I have went from acquaintances to friends in a short period. We love discussing the stock market. Billy has always made me laugh and for that I love him even more!
I am thankful that they are letting me help them get this GoFundMe going. The financial burden that a catastrophic event can leave on a family can be brutal.
Chance and I will post updates on estimated costs and goals to help them through these difficult times.
I wish Billy the best in his recovery and look forward to helping the Bruce family in any way that I can.
100% of the proceeds raised will go towards the Emergency and Recovery Medical Bills that the Bruce family faces. Everything is appreciated including kind notes, well wishes, and loving vibes.
Please reach out to Chance or myself if we can answer any questions.
Chance and I hope to organize in person fundraisers as well. Stay tuned!
Daniel Kleist