Hello family, friends, and GoFundMe community - I am Shelly Puszynski and have created this GoFundMe in support of David ("Dave") Karban and his family (his wife Chrissy, who I have known since we were 3 years-old, and their 3 year-old son, Max).

Dave was out enjoying a ride on his motorcycle on September 30 when he crashed near his home. As Dave was brought to the Emergency Department (ED) via ambulance, he had to be given CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). At the hospital, he was intubated (breathing tube placed for support) and underwent imaging, bloodwork, and exams. His medical team found that he sustained multiple injuries including: a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), skull fracture, multiple facial fractures, right leg fractures, and a left finger fracture. He was transferred to the critical care unit in critical condition. Over the next week, Dave underwent multiple surgeries including a right craniectomy (removal of right side of skull), placement of a drain to help deal with the swelling of his brain, and multiple orthopedic surgeries for his fractures. We also found out that Dave's left carotid artery was blocked, but after a cerebral angiogram (procedure that uses special dye and Xrays that images the vessels in the brain) we were told that he had good blood flow in his side of his brain from other vessels. On Friday, October 6th, despite the great efforts from the medical staff (for which we are also entirely grateful), we received devastating news that Dave suffered an extensive stroke on the left side of his brain which caused additional swelling in his brain. This was in addition to the known right frontal strokes, left posterior stroke, and swelling that had already been present after his initial injury. After discussion with the neurosurgeons about what this devastating news would mean for Dave's recovery and consideration of Dave's wishes, the decision was made not to resuscitate Dave if his heart stopped. Around 6pm on Friday October 6th, Dave passed away surrounded by his friends and family.

Those who knew Dave know that he was a hardworking carpenter, an amazing husband, and loving father. They also know that he did not go out without one hell of a fight. Everyone who has gotten to know Dave over the years has immediately enjoyed his welcoming and humorous nature. He immediately made you comfortable when you were around him and he could get you laughing so hard you have tears rolling down your face (even when he wasn't even trying to be funny). Dave was always there to support anyone who needed it and now we need to return that support to Dave and his family. Grieving the loss of Dave and missing him mean we were lucky enough to love him and be loved by him as well. This love we will carry with us forever. Our lives have been forever changed for the better for having known Dave.

The funds that are raised from this GoFundMe will be used for Dave’s medical expenses and funeral cost. Unexpected costs happen in life and we would like the Karban family to focus on other things besides financial concerns at this time. We know that Dave, being the great man that he was, would be upset that he could no longer provide for his family. He would also worry about being a source of financial burden to his family. In this extremely difficult time, many people have reached out and asked how they can help or donate, and this is one of the ways. We are extremely grateful for the massive amount of support that has been shown for Dave and the family. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for supporting them. It takes real courage to support each other through grief and Chrissy's strength throughout this entire process has been witnessed by everyone.