Blake's Recovery from Traumatic Injuries: Support Needed

On Thursday, July 24th, around 7:00 pm, Blake's life changed in an instant.

While enjoying a summer day at the lake with friends, Blake, a 17-year old rising Senior at Woodstock High, suffered a traumatic injury. He fell over 15 feet into rocks and logs below. He was rescued by fire boat, taken by ambulance to the trauma center at Kennestone Hospital, and rushed into emergency surgery for severe internal injuries.

He spent days in the ICU with a fractured back, a skull fracture, a sinus cavity fracture, internal bleeding, a torn spleen, kidney damage, and multiple cracked ribs. His recovery is nothing short of a miracle, but it's far from over.

Blake has now been discharged home, but will be out of class to start the school year. His family is facing mounting medical costs without insurance. He's also dealing with a concussion and must be closely monitored for headaches or light sensitivity. He'll need ongoing follow-up appointments, specialist care, and likely physical therapy in the coming weeks. His mom has missed work to be by his side and will continue to support his recovery full time.

With the family's permission, we're launching this fundraiser after a life-threatening accident to help ease the financial stress so they can focus on healing, not hospital bills.

Your donation will help cover out-of-pocket costs related to Blake's care, including:

• Emergency care, ambulance, and surgery

• Follow-up specialist visits

• Physical therapy and rehab

• Medications, supplies, and transportation

• Lost wages and daily needs during recovery

We're setting an initial goal of $11,000 to help cover immediate medical expenses and other costs. While the family is applying for Medicaid, and financial assistance, those programs take time to approve and may not cover everything.

If Medicaid is not approved or only partially helps, many critical expenses may still fall on the family. As support grows and their needs become more clear, the goal may be raised to reflect that.

If you know Blake, you know his fighting spirit. His mom has been by his side every step of the way. Let's show up for this strong and resilient young man during his recovery as a community and lift Blake and his family up together.

There are 2 ways to immediately support Blake and his family:

• If you can donate, thank you for your support! Every amount, big or small, makes a difference.

• If you can't donate, please share this and help us spread the word as every share means the world.

Thank you for lifting up Blake and his family during this time.