I am lucky to have an uncle like Chip; he’s really one of the nicest guys alive. Unfortunately, bad things sometimes happen to good people. 17 days ago, he arrived at Halifax Hospital to have a “simple” back surgery. None of us would have ever imagined he would be inpatient for 15 days, with severe complications leading to 2 emergency surgeries. After an extensive stay at Halifax Hospital, he was discharged home in worse condition than he was upon entering. A personal trainer, walking with a walker, severe pain, unable to perform simple self-care, and declining by the day. As a nurse for the surgical department here in Jacksonville, I’m thanking my lucky stars for a very kind soul, a neurosurgeon who has essentially saved my Uncle Chip’s life. We got him to Jacksonville, after a second emergency surgery and 5 additional days in the hospital, he is finally regaining strength in his legs and able to walk without a walker. His recovery will be slow from all the trauma to his spine, but we are finally seeing progress!

All these unforeseen bumps in the road following the surgery have caused a major financial burden for Chip and his family. As a self-employed personal trainer, he has no PTO benefits and is left without an income while he is unable to work. He and his family were not prepared for such a financial loss on top of growing medical bills. My heart has been so heavy watching him try to be strong through the storm, knowing it’s all out of his control.

l’m reaching out to friends and family to help alleviate this financial stress for Chip and his family while he recovers. I’m hoping we can help him catch up where he left off. All money will exclusively be utilized to cover household expenses and medical bills due to a temporary unforeseen loss of income. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking the time to read this and for any help you can give.