On Tuesday, October 11th, Steve (husband, dad and grandpa) suffered a severe neck injury with multiple fractures and a pinched spinal cord. He took a hard fall while working on the farm. We were fortunate to have a quick response from medical and fire department teams getting him to the hospital in LaCrosse for evaluation and treatment. On Friday, he had a laminectomy with spinal fusion surgery to repair the damage to his neck but will be in the hospital recovering for the foreseeable future. Steve can move his legs and arms, but has limited use of his arms at this time.

As many of you know, Steve is an avid outdoorsman and has lived most of his life maintaining his farm in Ettrick, WI. Whether he is taking care of his animals, fixing many of the machines that need work or tinkering in the barn, this is where his family and friends know to find him. Months of physical therapy will follow, and his ability to work on the farm in the future is unknown at this time.

Substantial hospital and recovery bills will be incurred, and we are asking for whatever support you might be able to provide during this time to keep Steve focused on his health. Please also send positive thoughts and prayers as he works through physical therapy. We will provide updates here as we learn more. Thank you.