Father Loses Limbs to Illness - Prostheses Needed
Donation protected
We live in a community that offers many opportunities for all of us, however when catastrophe strikes, this can change dramatically. This is the story of one family amongst us that is experiencing the pain of unthinkable tragedy.
My name is Katy Hope, and my team mate Sunny and I have a story we feel compelled to share. It was the summer of 2019 and our neighbor and friend of 20 + years, Mai Tran, and her family of 5, two daughters in their early 20’s and a son, a recent NHHS 2020 graduate, were looking forward to their son’s senior year and pending graduation. The girls were looking forward to continuing undergrad education at our local colleges, life was good.
On July 1, 2019, life took a dramatic turn.
Early that morning we were shocked to see an ambulance at their house as this is a young family. Dad, just 57 years old, was taken by ambulance to Hoag with an acute blood infection, sepsis had set in, and subsequently septic shock. For weeks attempts were made to get the infection under control, and he was eventually transferred to UCI for more intensive care. However, due to lack of blood flow, necrosis set in. Despite all best efforts, it was necessary to amputate all four limbs.
Their NHHS senior son valiantly put aside the social life of a high school senior, balancing schoolwork with long hours of support for his father. The older girls sidelined schooling to step in and help care for their father. All three children took on jobs where they could get them. Mom, always a stay-at-home parent, has worked tirelessly to feed and care for all three children and her husband. After 9 months in various hospitals, he is now at home with his elderly parents while the family home is reconfigured for a hospital bed.
And then a pandemic hit. Now the opportunity for the extra jobs is gone. Risk runs higher for visiting their father at his parent’s home. In home medical care is tougher to get and costly. This single income family now has medical bills in the millions, short term disability has run out, and due to COVID-19, long term disability will be delayed 3-4 months. COBRA is incredibly expensive, and Medicare doesn’t kick in for another year. Everyone has had to put life on hold. It is increasingly difficult to see a path forward as the financial landscape worsens. Additional funding is nonexistent, the emotional toll is very high, and coping skills for a tragedy of this magnitude have not yet been learned. Money for counseling is out of the realm of possibility.
As friends and neighbors of this family, we are asking our community to please give what they can to help alleviate some of the financial stress that is compounding this unimaginably painful situation. Our goal is to raise enough money for advanced prosthetics (one limb is (~$30K!) and increased physical therapy sessions beyond the bare minimum that insurance covers. This will enable this father to rehabilitate more quickly and have increased abilities for a quicker return to work so he can continue to support his family, regain his self-esteem and move forward with life after a year on hold.
We are speaking on behalf of this family because as is often true, asking for help - especially from the kindness of strangers - is extremely difficult. With respect to their privacy, we have not shared names or faces, but as you can see, the situation is grave.
While many of us may be in a situation right now that doesn't allow us to donate, please help us to share this story in order to reach those that can. Social media is a powerful tool when used for great causes like this!
My name is Katy Hope, and my team mate Sunny and I have a story we feel compelled to share. It was the summer of 2019 and our neighbor and friend of 20 + years, Mai Tran, and her family of 5, two daughters in their early 20’s and a son, a recent NHHS 2020 graduate, were looking forward to their son’s senior year and pending graduation. The girls were looking forward to continuing undergrad education at our local colleges, life was good.
On July 1, 2019, life took a dramatic turn.
Early that morning we were shocked to see an ambulance at their house as this is a young family. Dad, just 57 years old, was taken by ambulance to Hoag with an acute blood infection, sepsis had set in, and subsequently septic shock. For weeks attempts were made to get the infection under control, and he was eventually transferred to UCI for more intensive care. However, due to lack of blood flow, necrosis set in. Despite all best efforts, it was necessary to amputate all four limbs.
Their NHHS senior son valiantly put aside the social life of a high school senior, balancing schoolwork with long hours of support for his father. The older girls sidelined schooling to step in and help care for their father. All three children took on jobs where they could get them. Mom, always a stay-at-home parent, has worked tirelessly to feed and care for all three children and her husband. After 9 months in various hospitals, he is now at home with his elderly parents while the family home is reconfigured for a hospital bed.
And then a pandemic hit. Now the opportunity for the extra jobs is gone. Risk runs higher for visiting their father at his parent’s home. In home medical care is tougher to get and costly. This single income family now has medical bills in the millions, short term disability has run out, and due to COVID-19, long term disability will be delayed 3-4 months. COBRA is incredibly expensive, and Medicare doesn’t kick in for another year. Everyone has had to put life on hold. It is increasingly difficult to see a path forward as the financial landscape worsens. Additional funding is nonexistent, the emotional toll is very high, and coping skills for a tragedy of this magnitude have not yet been learned. Money for counseling is out of the realm of possibility.
As friends and neighbors of this family, we are asking our community to please give what they can to help alleviate some of the financial stress that is compounding this unimaginably painful situation. Our goal is to raise enough money for advanced prosthetics (one limb is (~$30K!) and increased physical therapy sessions beyond the bare minimum that insurance covers. This will enable this father to rehabilitate more quickly and have increased abilities for a quicker return to work so he can continue to support his family, regain his self-esteem and move forward with life after a year on hold.
We are speaking on behalf of this family because as is often true, asking for help - especially from the kindness of strangers - is extremely difficult. With respect to their privacy, we have not shared names or faces, but as you can see, the situation is grave.
While many of us may be in a situation right now that doesn't allow us to donate, please help us to share this story in order to reach those that can. Social media is a powerful tool when used for great causes like this!
Fundraising team (2)
Katy Hope
Organizer
Newport Beach, CA
Mai Tran
Beneficiary
Sunny Beeker
Team member