My name is Kelsey Barnes. I'm raising money for my Dad, Bobby Shelton. He and his wife, Christie, were on a cross-country road trip in a rented camper van for her mom's funeral when my dad started getting sick with what they thought was altitude sickness. None of us could have imagined it would turn into this.

My daddy is currently on a ventilator at Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center in Reno, NV, for what the doctors think is viral meningitis. So far, the majority of his tests have come back normal, but we're still waiting on the results of his lumbar puncture. He's doing pretty well on sedation but is not ready to fully breathe on his own yet, and the doctors are giving us a 1-2 week timeline for the first stage of recovery (waking up and being discharged).

After he's awake and discharged, he'll have to travel either back to California (where Christie is from) or back to their home in North Carolina.

My sister, Dani, and I flew from the East Coast, North Carolina, and Florida to be here for him and Christie as well.

The money raised here will go towards housing, food, and transportation expenses while we're here in Reno, and anything left will help on his trip home and with medical expenses. We don't yet know the level of care he may need going forward or how long a full recovery might take, so literally anything helps.

If you're not able to help financially, first and foremost, please pray for healing and comfort for my Daddy and for us, and for wisdom in guiding his healthcare team. At the end of the day, God is in control and holds us all in His hands. Please also share his story because the more people on his team, the better.

I'll add some stories about my dad in here as well, and if you have any you'd like to share, please do. Stories of his kindness and humor (if you know Dad, you know he's the ultimate prankster) have really been keeping our spirits up out here.