Cole Reed's medical bills

My name is Michelle Peterson, and I want to share the personal story of my precious friend, Amy Weber, and her family. Amy's son Cole is one of the kindest, warm-hearted kids on the planet. He's a fierce friend and sibling who loves fishing and radio-controlled cars. He frequently volunteers to work horse shows at his local Ruritan, where he also plays baseball in the summer and helps with his church's annual car show. He is the proverbial "giver," always ready and willing to help those in need, be it a family, a friend, or a stranger.

On what was supposed to be a joyful birthday, November 14, 2022, my dear friend instead got the call every parent dreads. Cole was hunting with his older brother Clint in the woods behind their home. Clint alerted his brother to a doe approaching his position as he had already gotten a deer and wanted Cole to get his first. Climbing out of a tree, Cole knocked the rifle as he jumped down. As he did, the gun dislodged from the Y branch it was sitting in. The rifle's butt hit the ground, released the safety, and discharged. The bullet entered his upper right thigh and knocked Cole to the ground. Before it exited his body just under his rib cage, it tore through his colon in three places and shattered his Iliac Crest. Cole's ballcap was later found to have a bullet hole in the bill. Now comes the phone call to Amy, made by Cole. She thought he said, "he got off a shot," but it was actually, " I got shot!". Her world changed in that instant. Clint managed to carry his younger brother to the trail, so they were spotted by emergency personnel easier and called 911.

Cole went into emergency surgery that lasted for more than two hours. He was left with an entrance wound, an exit wound, and a 10-inch row of staples where the doctors removed all the intestines to clean fecal matter that exploded into his body. After removing a third of his colon and appendix, infection was now the looming threat.

As you might imagine, the family was frightened, and Cole had an incredible journey to recovery ahead of him. He spent eight days in the PICU and went home, where he needed around-the-clock care from his mom. As Cole slowly recovered at home, he graduated from his walker and wheelchair with the help of his physical therapist. He was cracking jokes, smiling again, and eating high-fat foods to recover some of the 15 pounds he lost while in the hospital. Cole still had a long recovery, appointments with doctors to assess his shattered pelvis and x-rays to be sure the bones and bullet fragments weren't causing further damage, but the family was hopeful for his future.

On Thursday, December 8, Cole began vomiting nonstop and was in excruciating abdominal pain. He was rushed to the ER. Given the severity of his recent injury, he was admitted to the PICU for observations and tests. It was discovered that he is now suffering from a rampant E-coli infection. Unable to control his immense pain and hold any water or nutrients down, Cole had an NG tube, and PICC line placed. Nutrients go straight into his veins and another line releases gas and bile from his gut.

Cole's traumatic accident comes with life-long effects for him and his family. The hospital bills that it has generated for two-week-long ICU stays come right during the holiday season. I appreciate your consideration in helping this family.

December 15- Cole underwent a second surgery to remove a complete, high-grade small bowel obstruction created by excess scar tissue. He will keep the NG tube and PICC line in for now.