A head-on triple-car crash in Botswana has left Eric Pfund’s young family hospitalized and their car totaled. On the evening of Sunday, May 12, 2019, Eric was driving the family back from Church in Gaborone, Botswana, to his wife Kefilwe's hometown of Molepolole, a rural village outside of the city. His precious cargo consisted of Kefilwe, their children, 5-year old daughter, Elisha, and infant son Gabriel, along with his wife's 9-year old sister, and two cousins.
While details about the accident are still emerging as memories clear, we know that they were involved in a head-on highway collision with an oncoming vehicle and then struck again from behind. In the tense moments after paramedics extracted the bleeding family from the wreckage, a quick scan revealed that, by the grace of God, everyone was still somehow alive! Miraculously, two month old Gabriel was relatively unscathed, and Eric escaped with minor injuries from the impact of the crash and the force of the airbag's deployment.
Unfortunately, all other passengers were hospitalized with various injuries. Elisha, pictured on the cover, suffered a gash in her head and underwent surgery for a fractured left leg at the hip, and is now learning to walk with crutches. Kef, however, sustained the worst injuries and is in the ICU with fractured pelvic bones, internal bleeding, and bruised kidneys, liver, colon, and lungs. Because of heavy bleeding, doctors also opted to remove her spleen. At the time of this posting she is expected to be in hospital for two or more weeks, and is unable to nurse baby Gabriel due to the extent of her injuries and medications. He is gradually adjusting to the sudden transition to bottled formula. The other passengers were treated for internal bleeding, broken collarbone, etc.
Eric's family is fortunate to be in one of the better private hospitals in Botswana, a developing but stable country which is often lauded as the "diamond of Africa" and a great development success story. Nevertheless, their health insurance (through Kef's job) will only cover part of their treatment expenses, leaving them with mounting medical bills which will be insurmountable for this young family on their own!
Kef works for a government agency as a purchasing agent and is currently the main breadwinner; she was supposed to return to her job in June following maternity leave, but that is now uncertain. Eric, an artist and videographer, has had some work and health challenges, but has been using his gifts to establish a business as a portrait artist over the past few years. http://www.pricelessportraits.us/ (Note: Priceless Portrait contact information hasn't yet been updated to reflect Eric's mailing address and phone number while in Botswana.)
In addition to the medical expenses, the family will also need to replace their totaled car to enable them to eventually return to work. They'll probably have to bear most of the $5,000- $7,000 cost to buy a used car as their insurance situation is uncertain.
In response to such a huge need, we're launching this "GoPfundMe" as suggested by so many friends and family around the world. Thank you for your enormous outpouring of support and your desire to help! We welcome whatever financial contribution you can make to this "pFund" - every dollar counts, and right now they don't have much. But whether or not you can contribute, please share this on your social media pages so that others can! And above all continue to Pray! Each day's progress gives us so much encouragement!
Kef in the ER.