Help Brain Injured Veteran Jerry Futrell & Family
Donation protected
Please help former local law enforcement officer and NC Army National Guard U.S. Veteran SSG Jerry Futrell Jr. who sustained a traumatic brain injury in July, 2020 and his family.
My husband, Jerry Futrell Jr. of Duplin County is a former local law enforcement officer and retired NC Army National Guard U.S. Veteran in need of support. As a member of A120 Infantry Company Jerry served two tours in Iraq and one tour in Jordan. He is the father of three beautiful children; Faith 10 years old, Viggo 3 years old, and Sigge 8 month old.
On July 24th, 2020 Jerry suffered a traumatic brain injury after falling from a golf cart while playing in a tournament at River Landing Country Club. He sustained multiple skull fractures, a severe internal brain bleed, and diffuse axonal injury. He had an emergency craniotomy where they removed part of his skull to relieve the internal pressure and allow for his brain to swell. He was resuscitated and based off the initial CT scan it is a miracle he even survived! Many of you have reached out to us asking if we needed anything and I have been hesitant to ask for assistance. However, I must put my husband and our family before my pride.
The road to recovery has been long and painful and he is not expected to ever reach a full recovery. When he initially woke up he had no memory of who he himself, me, or his children were. If you spend 5 minutes or have a brief conversation with Jerry, you may not think anything is wrong with him. However, we have been told by medical professionals on his treatment team that he has moderate to severe dementia that is only expected to worsen and his short-term memory is poor. This becomes evident if you take the time to really visit with him.
Ever since he was discharged home in September after spending 41 days at Vidant Greenville we have fought with the VA and other hospitals to the get Jerry the proper care he needs and deserves. I am forever thankful for those healthcare workers that listened to our cries for help, as there were many that did not believe us or refused to listen. I have also spent numerous late nights writing legislators begging for help.
Jerry has a long history of combat related PTSD and for years I begged and pleaded that he would seek the proper help he deserved and needed, but he denied having any issues. This is a common reaction. Jerry also sustained a traumatic brain injury in 2004 while deployed in Iraq. His most recent brain injury has significantly impaired his impulse control and exacerbated his prior-existing PTSD. This has caused him to be a danger at times to himself and our family.
Due to the missing skull bone and his severely impaired cognition he has repeatedly been denied proper treatment. On March 5th, 2021 he finally had surgery, a crainoplasty, to replace the missing skull bone. Following the surgery, he acquired a post-op brain bleed that may further impact his mental status. Thankfully the crainoplasty has made new treatment options available. He is finally going to receive some of the care that he has deserved from the beginning of this journey. His symptoms are expected to continue to decline, and the anger management issues will exacerbate without proper treatment.
He has currently been accepted into a private rehabilitation program in Raleigh. While the VA has agreed to cover his treatment, we must pay for his room and board out of pocket which is estimated at $1000 or more per month. As of right now we are unsure how long Jerry will remain at this rehabilitation program and what the next step will be.
Since his accident I have had to make some hard and heartbreaking decisions with the main priority of keeping our children’s safety and wellbeing first. Our kids’ safety and wellbeing will always remain my main priority. Relatives of Jerry have cruelly and inconsiderately commented that I threw Jerry to the dogs while they never attempted to understand the whole picture. However, I would never want anyone to fully understand as it would mean they have to experience the nightmare my family and I have and are currently living.
Although we are forever thankful for the outpouring of love, help, and donations we have already received from our community, we are asking for contributions to help pay for Jerry’s treatment expenses that cannot be determined until we know how long he will be in rehabilitation and if he will need additional inpatient or residential care after he has been discharged from rehab, as well as additional family expenses such as medical bills, unexpected child care costs, cost of therapy sessions, and continually mounting bills that have resulted from Jerry’s accident that has led to a loss of income since Jerry is no longer able to work as a law enforcement officer and will most like never be able to return to the workforce. I am fighting for him to receive the care he deserves and cannot continue the fight alone.
Sincerely,
Emelie
My husband, Jerry Futrell Jr. of Duplin County is a former local law enforcement officer and retired NC Army National Guard U.S. Veteran in need of support. As a member of A120 Infantry Company Jerry served two tours in Iraq and one tour in Jordan. He is the father of three beautiful children; Faith 10 years old, Viggo 3 years old, and Sigge 8 month old.
On July 24th, 2020 Jerry suffered a traumatic brain injury after falling from a golf cart while playing in a tournament at River Landing Country Club. He sustained multiple skull fractures, a severe internal brain bleed, and diffuse axonal injury. He had an emergency craniotomy where they removed part of his skull to relieve the internal pressure and allow for his brain to swell. He was resuscitated and based off the initial CT scan it is a miracle he even survived! Many of you have reached out to us asking if we needed anything and I have been hesitant to ask for assistance. However, I must put my husband and our family before my pride.
The road to recovery has been long and painful and he is not expected to ever reach a full recovery. When he initially woke up he had no memory of who he himself, me, or his children were. If you spend 5 minutes or have a brief conversation with Jerry, you may not think anything is wrong with him. However, we have been told by medical professionals on his treatment team that he has moderate to severe dementia that is only expected to worsen and his short-term memory is poor. This becomes evident if you take the time to really visit with him.
Ever since he was discharged home in September after spending 41 days at Vidant Greenville we have fought with the VA and other hospitals to the get Jerry the proper care he needs and deserves. I am forever thankful for those healthcare workers that listened to our cries for help, as there were many that did not believe us or refused to listen. I have also spent numerous late nights writing legislators begging for help.
Jerry has a long history of combat related PTSD and for years I begged and pleaded that he would seek the proper help he deserved and needed, but he denied having any issues. This is a common reaction. Jerry also sustained a traumatic brain injury in 2004 while deployed in Iraq. His most recent brain injury has significantly impaired his impulse control and exacerbated his prior-existing PTSD. This has caused him to be a danger at times to himself and our family.
Due to the missing skull bone and his severely impaired cognition he has repeatedly been denied proper treatment. On March 5th, 2021 he finally had surgery, a crainoplasty, to replace the missing skull bone. Following the surgery, he acquired a post-op brain bleed that may further impact his mental status. Thankfully the crainoplasty has made new treatment options available. He is finally going to receive some of the care that he has deserved from the beginning of this journey. His symptoms are expected to continue to decline, and the anger management issues will exacerbate without proper treatment.
He has currently been accepted into a private rehabilitation program in Raleigh. While the VA has agreed to cover his treatment, we must pay for his room and board out of pocket which is estimated at $1000 or more per month. As of right now we are unsure how long Jerry will remain at this rehabilitation program and what the next step will be.
Since his accident I have had to make some hard and heartbreaking decisions with the main priority of keeping our children’s safety and wellbeing first. Our kids’ safety and wellbeing will always remain my main priority. Relatives of Jerry have cruelly and inconsiderately commented that I threw Jerry to the dogs while they never attempted to understand the whole picture. However, I would never want anyone to fully understand as it would mean they have to experience the nightmare my family and I have and are currently living.
Although we are forever thankful for the outpouring of love, help, and donations we have already received from our community, we are asking for contributions to help pay for Jerry’s treatment expenses that cannot be determined until we know how long he will be in rehabilitation and if he will need additional inpatient or residential care after he has been discharged from rehab, as well as additional family expenses such as medical bills, unexpected child care costs, cost of therapy sessions, and continually mounting bills that have resulted from Jerry’s accident that has led to a loss of income since Jerry is no longer able to work as a law enforcement officer and will most like never be able to return to the workforce. I am fighting for him to receive the care he deserves and cannot continue the fight alone.
Sincerely,
Emelie
Organizer
Emelie Andersson
Organizer
Beulaville, NC