Devastating Brackeen Family Emergency

My dear friend and a beloved member of the Knoxville community, Chyna Brackeen has been dealt an unimaginable blow to her family.

On the evening of January 25th, Chyna's mother, Janet Brackeen was crossing a street while on a trip to Denver and was hit by a car. Her injuries were extensive and catastrophic. Early in the morning of January 26th - Chyna’s birthday - the hospital contacted Chyna to tell her that Janet was in the ICU in critical condition. She had massive swelling and bleeding in her brain that required the back of her skull to be removed, multiple broken bones (almost every bone in her face, her shoulder, ribs, every bone in her pelvis, legs, shattered kneecaps, and toes), and was completely unresponsive. Though she required several emergent procedures, none could be done until the neuro team declared her stable enough - which never happened. Over the next 36 hours, her organs began to fail and ultimately, her daughter had to make the painful decision to remove life support. Janet then passed peacefully.

During this time of unimaginable grief, there are challenges that require extra attention and are also quite costly. Due to the ongoing investigation regarding the circumstances of her death, her body has not yet been released from the coroner. This results in a delay for the death certificate to be issued, which in turn complicates the winding down of Janet’s estate. Her mortgage, utilities, and other bills must still be paid, and arrangements must be made to care for her beloved pets (five dogs, four birds, and several Koi). Additionally, her body is over 1300 miles from home - adding additional preparation and transportation costs.

Chyna's mother had been widowed many years ago, and her parents and siblings have all passed - leaving her to deal with this alone. To have to navigate the unexpected loss of a parent is painful but unfortunately something most of us will have to deal with.

The brutality of this accident, along with the legal and physical distance complications make this the kind of challenge no one should have to handle alone. Chyna has given so much to her family, friends and the entire Knoxville community. It's time for us to help her. Anything you can give will help her family at this time of unthinkable pain and grief.