Help Chris Recover From Deadly Flu

Help Chris Recovery After Life Threatening Flu

Hi! I'm Vanessa and I'm creating this GoFundMe for my big brother,  Chris Kinzey. 

At the beginning of February Chris got what he thought was a normal stomach bug and then a severe cold. By February 13th, his condition had gotten so bad he knew that he either needed to go to the doctor or the emergency room. He figured he'd have to wait for a long time to be seen at the ER so he drove to his doctor's office without an appointment. The doctor took one look at Chris and told the staff to call 911.

Chris ended up at the ER of Sentara Leigh Hospital in Norfolk, VA where he was quickly admitted to the ICU. He was told if he had waited a few hours longer he probably would have died. Although he was in the place he needed to be he was far from out of danger.

Chris's condition was critical, and on February 14th, I received a phone call from his admitting doctor at Sentara Leigh was informed that Chris was in critical condition and mortality was likely. She urged us to come be with him, as it wasn't even certain that he would last the night. So my parents and I all hopped in a car and immediately made the 4 hour trek to be by his side. 

Miraculously, Chris survived that first night. And the next night, and the next. Our parents spent 6 weeks by his side, and our brother Curtis and I also visited as much as we could. For 35 Days, Chris fought for his life in the ICU. His kidneys failed, his lungs failed, his heart failed over and over and over until finally, he turned a corner and was declared no longer critical. Chris was eventually moved out of the ICU and then to a rehab hospital where he is receiving extensive physical therapy  and occupational therapies to prepare him for returning to "Real Life!"

Chris has been hospitalized for 51 days. Obviously, he's been unable to work during this time, and it's uncertain how long it will be until he is able to return to a regular work schedule. Although he does have health in surance, he'll be facing quite a lot of hospital bills, as well as continued therapies long after he's released from the rehab hospital. 

Since his financial situation is extremely tenuous right now, I created this GoFundMe to help him get back on his feet after this crazy experience. He's made it this far, please consider helping financially to ease the burden of the challenges he'll be facing in the coming days.

Thank you!