Help Austin Police Officer Ryan Hancock & Family
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Officer Ryan Hancock has been living with the severe effects of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning for almost 3 years now. He, along with all his family and friends, are so thankful for him to still be alive, but there is no denying that these past few years have been challenging (physically, emotionally, and financially). I am asking that you join me in trying to relieve a portion of their stress as they face even more challenges and the medical expenses continue to accumulate.
Here is his story.
On July 21, 2017, the lives of Austin Police Officer Ryan Hancock and his family were changed forever. Less than a month earlier, Officer Hancock and his family celebrated the birth of their third child. Ryan took off from work for the first four weeks of his child’s life to help his wife, Jessica, take care of their newborn as well as care for their six and seven-year-old children. Little did their family know that this would be his last quality time with his family to date.
On his first day back to work, Officer Hancock was driving his patrol vehicle during his shift. Throughout the day, Ryan became very exhausted, nauseated, dizzy, and had a severe headache. Since this was his first day back to work after a month in the hot Texas heat, he just attributed this to getting acclimated from his time off. He did not recognize that these were signs of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning.
After going through a night of no sleep, vomiting, and having a severe migraine, Ryan went into work that next day against his wife’s wishes as he was very dedicated to his job, the police department, and the citizens he protects and serves. It was not until the following day that he learned that his vehicle was pulled from fleet for carbon monoxide issues just a few hours after his shift concluded. Nearly a full day after he was exposed, Officer Hancock still had this toxic gas in his system as well as dangerously low oxygen levels. Multiple doctors told Ryan that he was lucky to have survived the night without going into a coma and passing away.
For two and a half years, Ryan has gone to multiple doctors’ appointments, therapies, and other rehabilitation programs, all to help get him back to the job he loved. During this time, Ryan spent more than 30 days away from his family due to hospitalizations as well as in-patient therapies. Ryan has not settled for just doing the minimal required amounts of therapy, rather he and Jessica have personally sought out additional therapies on their own in order to get back to work and be his normal self as quickly as possible. While he has had medical insurance, we all know that insurance does not cover everything especially in extreme medical cases as this one. His worker’s compensation insurance is even rejecting his continuance of therapies, which are working and are being requested by his doctors and medical experts. Additionally, he has not been reimbursed for therapies and other payments he has made out of pocket for over a year.
Officer Hancock has had to apply for injury leave to allow time for his brain and body to heal and recover so that he can return to work. In his most recent request for additional time, Austin’s Chief of Police, Brian Manley, decided not to grant Officer Hancock the requested leave. Despite the great help of Austin Councilmember Kitchen, the majority of the city council members decided on April 10, 2020 to turn a blind eye to this public servant and the situation that he is now in just by going to work for the people of Austin by not moving forward with a vote to extend his on-duty injury leave. Office Hancock was forced to medically retire on April 17, 2020. Ryan and his family will now be making less than half of what he used to as he loved to work overtime to earn additional income to care for his family. Ryan and his family are continuing to look for disability to supplement these lost wages.
After the poisoning, Hancock was not allowed to hold, carry, feed, or do anything with his newborn for over a year.
Additionally, Ryan was also never allowed the opportunity to spend some of the best, innocent years of his two other children’s lives. No piggy-back rides, no reading together, no playing Lego’s; nothing. Ryan has expressed extreme sorrow as he said that his children were at the “daddy’s my hero” stage of life to now being independent. Ryan also played bass at his home church on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings for nearly 20 years. He has not only been unable to play bass for services, but he has also not been able to attend church except for a couple of times due to his severe symptoms.
Although this fundraiser can never replace the time that Officer Hancock has lost with his wife and his children, we are hoping that it helps ease the financial burden that his family is going through as Ryan continues on his path of recovery and this young family works hard to discover their next steps. Please join me in helping this young officer, his wife, and his children in their time of need. All proceeds will go towards future treatments and expenditures that are being refused to be covered or insured.
You can watch and read a news story that a local media channel did with Ryan’s wife at: https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/apd-officer-poisoned-by-carbon-monoxide-on-the-job-may-have-to-medically-retire/
Here is his story.
On July 21, 2017, the lives of Austin Police Officer Ryan Hancock and his family were changed forever. Less than a month earlier, Officer Hancock and his family celebrated the birth of their third child. Ryan took off from work for the first four weeks of his child’s life to help his wife, Jessica, take care of their newborn as well as care for their six and seven-year-old children. Little did their family know that this would be his last quality time with his family to date.
On his first day back to work, Officer Hancock was driving his patrol vehicle during his shift. Throughout the day, Ryan became very exhausted, nauseated, dizzy, and had a severe headache. Since this was his first day back to work after a month in the hot Texas heat, he just attributed this to getting acclimated from his time off. He did not recognize that these were signs of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning.
After going through a night of no sleep, vomiting, and having a severe migraine, Ryan went into work that next day against his wife’s wishes as he was very dedicated to his job, the police department, and the citizens he protects and serves. It was not until the following day that he learned that his vehicle was pulled from fleet for carbon monoxide issues just a few hours after his shift concluded. Nearly a full day after he was exposed, Officer Hancock still had this toxic gas in his system as well as dangerously low oxygen levels. Multiple doctors told Ryan that he was lucky to have survived the night without going into a coma and passing away.
For two and a half years, Ryan has gone to multiple doctors’ appointments, therapies, and other rehabilitation programs, all to help get him back to the job he loved. During this time, Ryan spent more than 30 days away from his family due to hospitalizations as well as in-patient therapies. Ryan has not settled for just doing the minimal required amounts of therapy, rather he and Jessica have personally sought out additional therapies on their own in order to get back to work and be his normal self as quickly as possible. While he has had medical insurance, we all know that insurance does not cover everything especially in extreme medical cases as this one. His worker’s compensation insurance is even rejecting his continuance of therapies, which are working and are being requested by his doctors and medical experts. Additionally, he has not been reimbursed for therapies and other payments he has made out of pocket for over a year.
Officer Hancock has had to apply for injury leave to allow time for his brain and body to heal and recover so that he can return to work. In his most recent request for additional time, Austin’s Chief of Police, Brian Manley, decided not to grant Officer Hancock the requested leave. Despite the great help of Austin Councilmember Kitchen, the majority of the city council members decided on April 10, 2020 to turn a blind eye to this public servant and the situation that he is now in just by going to work for the people of Austin by not moving forward with a vote to extend his on-duty injury leave. Office Hancock was forced to medically retire on April 17, 2020. Ryan and his family will now be making less than half of what he used to as he loved to work overtime to earn additional income to care for his family. Ryan and his family are continuing to look for disability to supplement these lost wages.
After the poisoning, Hancock was not allowed to hold, carry, feed, or do anything with his newborn for over a year.
Additionally, Ryan was also never allowed the opportunity to spend some of the best, innocent years of his two other children’s lives. No piggy-back rides, no reading together, no playing Lego’s; nothing. Ryan has expressed extreme sorrow as he said that his children were at the “daddy’s my hero” stage of life to now being independent. Ryan also played bass at his home church on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings for nearly 20 years. He has not only been unable to play bass for services, but he has also not been able to attend church except for a couple of times due to his severe symptoms.
Although this fundraiser can never replace the time that Officer Hancock has lost with his wife and his children, we are hoping that it helps ease the financial burden that his family is going through as Ryan continues on his path of recovery and this young family works hard to discover their next steps. Please join me in helping this young officer, his wife, and his children in their time of need. All proceeds will go towards future treatments and expenditures that are being refused to be covered or insured.
You can watch and read a news story that a local media channel did with Ryan’s wife at: https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/apd-officer-poisoned-by-carbon-monoxide-on-the-job-may-have-to-medically-retire/
Organisator und Spendenbegünstigter
Susan Blassingame
Organisator
Dripping Springs, TX
Jessica Hancock
Spendenbegünstigte
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