Children’s Christmas Fundraiser Turns Tragic

Hello! My name is Rebecca Smisko, and I am trying to raise funds for my brother David. Yesterday, he was participating in a local non-profit charity event where the proceeds buy Christmas presents for less fortunate children in the community. As the food was grilling on the industrial sized grill, the propane tanks exploded in David’s face and in a friend’s face severely injuring my brother David and killing his friend. The explosion caused 2nd degree burns on my brother’s face, eyes, ears, throat, neck, arms, chest and stomach. He also has flash burns and sand blasting burns. He can’t see, his right eye hemorrhaged and he cannot hear out of his left ear.

He was rushed to the nearest hospital, immediately taken to an out-of-town level one trauma center hospital and then a few hours later he was life-flighted by helicopter to The JMS Burn Center in Augusta.

Today, he went under general anesthesia for a four-hour debridement surgery and they did allograft with cadaver skin on his body and amnion on his face, eyelids and ears. Also, His right eye hemorrhaged -and- they stitched up a small laceration under his right eye.

My brother does not have any health insurance because the available health plans are not affordable.

Please pray for David!

Also, please bless my brother financially to help cover the cost of the ambulance, the emergency room charges, the life flight helicopter expense, the hospital charges, lab work charges, multiple prescriptions, weekly and bi-weekly doctor visits, physical therapy appointments and the ability to pay rent and utilities because he cannot work for the time being.

Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, and donations! God Bless!