Help Kevin Groh (Sparkey)
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KEVIN GROH'S (AKA SPARKY) STORY OF SURVIVAL
On August 23, 1999 Kevin had a horrible accident while working on soffit and fascia for an apartment complex. Kevin was up on a ladder and was electrocuted when the power lines arced themselves to his neck.
Kevin was hit with 7,200 volts of electricity which went through his neck and out his shins. Kevin spent 2 months and 8 days in a coma at St. John’s Burn Unit. Kevin woke up on from the coma on Halloween night, 1999 and finally left the hospital on November 23, 1999.
Kevin has been through 20+ surgeries for his burns and heart. He has had at least 4 heart attacks. After the electrocution Kevin was given roughly 2 years to survive! He has definitely beaten the odds!
Kevin has always given back – he donated money and his time to the Missouri Burn Camp for Kids and sponsored many softball teams and tournaments in and around our area. Kevin has been a ‘GIVER’ all of his life! One of his cardiologists told him he has a very BIG HEART. Kevin responded with “when you have 4 sisters you need to have a big heart!”
Kevin received his first pacemaker/defibrillator in 2013. They replaced his defibrillator in December, 2017 and added a third lead wire. Just recently Kevin has become dependent on a medication called ‘Dobutamine’ to help his heart pump. Dobutamine is very expensive and he needs this medication through an IV drip 24/7 which also requires home health care. He was told he has an ejection fraction (amount of blood being pumped out of the left ventricle with each heartbeat) of 20%, (normal hearts have an ejection fraction of 55% or above). Kevin has had a port put in so he can go home with the Dobutamine. He’s been given three to six months to live on the Dobutamine alone.
His next step is to have an LVAD (Left Ventricular Assistive Device) procedure which is VERY expensive. The device is a mechanical pump that can help pump blood to the heart and will slowly increase the amount of blood pumped to the heart.
Funding from this Go Fund Me will directly go to pay for medications and other medical expenses.
On August 23, 1999 Kevin had a horrible accident while working on soffit and fascia for an apartment complex. Kevin was up on a ladder and was electrocuted when the power lines arced themselves to his neck.
Kevin was hit with 7,200 volts of electricity which went through his neck and out his shins. Kevin spent 2 months and 8 days in a coma at St. John’s Burn Unit. Kevin woke up on from the coma on Halloween night, 1999 and finally left the hospital on November 23, 1999.
Kevin has been through 20+ surgeries for his burns and heart. He has had at least 4 heart attacks. After the electrocution Kevin was given roughly 2 years to survive! He has definitely beaten the odds!
Kevin has always given back – he donated money and his time to the Missouri Burn Camp for Kids and sponsored many softball teams and tournaments in and around our area. Kevin has been a ‘GIVER’ all of his life! One of his cardiologists told him he has a very BIG HEART. Kevin responded with “when you have 4 sisters you need to have a big heart!”
Kevin received his first pacemaker/defibrillator in 2013. They replaced his defibrillator in December, 2017 and added a third lead wire. Just recently Kevin has become dependent on a medication called ‘Dobutamine’ to help his heart pump. Dobutamine is very expensive and he needs this medication through an IV drip 24/7 which also requires home health care. He was told he has an ejection fraction (amount of blood being pumped out of the left ventricle with each heartbeat) of 20%, (normal hearts have an ejection fraction of 55% or above). Kevin has had a port put in so he can go home with the Dobutamine. He’s been given three to six months to live on the Dobutamine alone.
His next step is to have an LVAD (Left Ventricular Assistive Device) procedure which is VERY expensive. The device is a mechanical pump that can help pump blood to the heart and will slowly increase the amount of blood pumped to the heart.
Funding from this Go Fund Me will directly go to pay for medications and other medical expenses.
Organizer and beneficiary
Judy Schubert Panu
Organizer
Oakville, MO
KELLY BRADY
Beneficiary
