Chuck O'Neill Cremation/Memorial

On Monday October 9th, 2017 Chuck O'Neill was in a bicycle accident.
Chuck was transported to Providence Hospital in Everett. The ER department assessed his injuries and decided he needed to be transported to Harborview Medical Center immediately. 

Chuck was diagnosed with swelling & bleeding of the brain. He also had a left shoulder fracture, multiple facial fractures, and spinal & skull fractures. He was intubated and placed in ICU in critical condition.  

The Drs. were most concerned about Chuck's brain swelling and bleeding. They addressed those issues immediately.  On Wednesday, October 11th, his swelling had gone down, he had stabilized some, and the Drs. were able to extubate him and allow him to breath on his own. His oldest daughter Kourtnie was at the hospital during that time and was able to speak with her dad a little. He was able to briefly respond to her words. Kourtnie now holds those few words and gestures very near and dear to her heart.

From there, the Drs. addressed the fractures in his face by preforming facial reconstruction surgery. It was after that surgery that Chuck developed a rapid heart beat & a fever. Drs. placed him back into ICU and had to intubate him again. The bleeding in his brain become a major concern again. Drs. took him in for emergency surgery, removing a part of his skull to allow more room for the brain swelling. 

Chuck never recovered from that emergency surgery and passed away on Sunday October 15th, 2017 at the age of 44. He is survived by his daughter Kourtnie and two sons, Tristian & Shea. 

To know Chuck was to love him! He was witty with an infectious laugh. One of my favorite childhood memories of him was when he climbed to the top of a shed, just to be able to jump off and "fly like superman." Of course he fell firmly to the ground but it didn't stop him from being mischievous & adventurous, even as an adult. He loved his children, and if able, would have done anything to be there for them.

Chuck was not married so his eldest daughter Kourtnie has had to step in and make all the major medical decisions for her dad. She has managed to make her entire family extremely proud. She has had to make some hard decisions, including the decision to have any of her dads viable organs donated. The family takes great comfort in knowing that in our sadness someone else's family will gain a miracle in Chuck's organs.

Unfortunately, Chuck was not working at the time of his accident. He had no money in savings. Kourtnie has two minor brothers so they are unable to help with the financial burden of cremation and memorial costs for Chuck. Kourtnie also had to miss several days of work in order to be at the hospital to tend to her dads medical needs.

We are eternally grateful for all of the love, support, & prayers has we have grieved the unexpected loss of our brother, father, son, nephew, cousin, & friend. But we are also reaching out in hopes that anyone who is able can donate to help give Kourtnie some monetary assistance as she goes through the painful process to laying her dad to rest. 

Through this process, we've learned life is short & can change in the blink of an eye. Remember to appreciate the ones you have, hug tightly, and love deeply.