He stood for us. Now let's help him walk again!#WalkForWayne

Let’s Walk for Wayne – A Grandfather, Father, and Friend Who Needs Us Now

On April 14th, our lives were changed forever.

Our dad, Wayne, underwent what was supposed to be a routine procedure to help with chronic back pain. But something went terribly wrong. A blood clot formed on his spine, and within minutes, he lost feeling in both of his legs. Doctors acted quickly, rushing him into emergency surgery just four hours after the numbness began. Despite their fast response, Wayne remains paralyzed from the waist down.

He is currently undergoing intensive inpatient rehabilitation at the University of Utah Hospital, working every day to regain movement and feeling in his legs. It’s a long, grueling road—but if anyone has the grit, stubbornness, and heart to keep going, it’s our dad.

Wayne raised four of us on his own. A single dad who worked hard, loved harder, and never once complained about the hand he was dealt. He built a life for us brick by brick—often literally—and always with love, music, and a good story or two along the way.

Up until this happened, Wayne was working full-time doing what he loved: driving a taxi and connecting with people. He is a man of simple pleasures— a family get together, always joking, and time with his grandkids. He’s the kind of guy who will stop everything to help you with a project or build something when one of his kids gets a crazy idea. And if he’s your grandpa, well, get ready for treats, ice cream runs, and the best hugs ever.

Now he needs us.

His bedroom is down a flight of stairs he can no longer climb. His home isn’t wheelchair accessible. The medical bills are already piling up. And while we’re holding onto the hope that he’ll walk again someday, the reality is that life is going to look very different for a while.

Wayne will be out of work for the foreseeable future. He needs equipment, home modifications, ongoing therapy, and support with basic daily living expenses. And what he doesn’t need—what we refuse to let happen—is for finances to weigh him down on top of everything else.

We’re asking for your help to lift him up—just like he’s always done for us.

Let’s Walk for Wayne. Let’s carry him for a bit while he finds his legs again.

If you know Wayne, you know his heart is bigger than any challenge. You know he’s a fighter. You know he’s a light in any room and a friend you can always count on.

Please help us give back to the man who’s given so much to all of us.

With love and gratitude,

Wayne’s kids and grandkids