On March 8th, 2026, my dad fell from a 20 foot ladder in the backyard of my parents’ home. After being transported by ambulance to a local trauma unit, our family found out he had broken several ribs, fractured vertebrae, broken his pelvis, and experienced a minor brain bleed. Though our family is devastated by the accident, we are choosing to do what my dad has said every day since I was a little girl, "Wake up, and do the next best thing." Ten seconds at a time, one day at a time, one step at a time.
As a survivor of stage four throat cancer, a nurse recently called my dad a "miracle." I am used to calling him "Coach." He has many other names, such as dad, grandpa, uncle, brother, husband and friend. He has been my best friend and superhero for 32 years.
My parents are known for giving their time and energy so freely to others. They instilled in us their hard work ethic and willingness to help others any day (or night, literally). As many of you already know, they would never reach out for help, so I am reaching out on their behalf.
Every day, my dad wakes up to a new injury his team of doctors has found, needing additional scans, lab-work, PT and OT equipment, second opinions, with adjusted timelines of when he will return home.
As soon as my dad can be safely discharged from the hospital, he will be staying at a rehabilitation facility for 2-3 weeks. He will be able to move home once the house is fitted for his needs, providing accessibility.
Any funds raised through this account would go towards the following:
- Funds to help my dad stay at the most supportive and intensive rehabilitation facility for as long as needed
- Funds to assist my mom with medical bills
- Funds to help my brother and family friends make my parents’ house wheelchair accessible
- Funds for a hospital bed and accessible furniture to be placed on the main floor of my parents’ home
- Future costs that will pop-up in the months to come
- Future bbq sandwiches for when my dad is able to be on a normal diet again (most important objective of all)
- Bedazzling materials for me to make him the most fabulous wheelchair in Kansas City (just kidding, maybe…)
As previously stated, so many of you know that my parents are the last to ask for help or "impose" on others. Nursing staff recently said to me, "this is tens of thousands of dollars, you know." Well, we don’t know. We are moving in to the unknown blindly. As their daughter, this is me, reaching out for help, to see my dad make a full recovery from his injuries.
Most importantly, thank you for being our friends and family. Regardless of any monetary donation, our family would be lost without you. We love you.
Sam (Johnson) Guarini, aka Mark’s daughter and hospital snack liasion
Organizer and beneficiary
Ginny Johnson
Beneficiary