Help the Chauncey family

Those of you who know us, know that we are not ones to come right out and ask for help. We’ve had a few people tell us we should create one of these and we’re at the point in the crossroads where we honestly have no other choice but to swallow our pride and do so.

On September 29, 2024, while at work in Dispatch, I was electrocuted. I began experiencing soreness in the right side of my arm and began to lose sensation and movement. I could not feel anything from my right elbow down to my fingertips and was experiencing tingling all over, including not having any function in my right hand. I was transported via ambulance to Lake City hospital. Cody arrived to meet me there in full uniform (he was supposed to work shift that night), only for us to find out that they were going to transport me out as they did not have a neurologist on staff who I needed to be seen by. After being seen by two doctors and a “Telehealth” neurologist, it was determined I needed to see Neuro ASAP. I was then transported out via ambulance to Gainesville hospital.

When we arrived in Gainesville, I was seen by the trauma team including the burn team, neurology, and cardiology. Since being discharged from the hospital, it has been specialist after specialist.

Cody took off work to take care of me when this first happened as I had no function whatsoever in my right hand and couldn’t do much of anything on my own. As he had switched from the PD to the Sheriff's office, his time off that he had accumulated wasn’t enough to stay out with me the entire time. The Sheriff's Office did open up a leave donation for him, but that was only enough hours for him to stay out for about 2 weeks.

Cody returned back to work while I have still been out on workers' comp and we thought things would start looking up for us.

However, that wasn’t the case. We have been through one problem after another with my workers' comp. From them not paying me at all, to finally paying me some (not paying me correctly), paying me weeks late, bills falling behind as we went from a 2-income family to solely relying on Cody’s income, not scheduling my appointments with specialists I have needed to see, and workers' comp has had me driving from Lake City to Gainesville, and all the way out from Lake City to Jacksonville. We did end up obtaining legal representation to help me with my workers' comp case but as you can imagine, it’s still a very drawn-out process. Every time I am/should be receiving my check, if it’s late or not there at all, I have to reach out to my attorney who then has to reach out to workers' comp and then it’s still a waiting game of “where is Summer’s check and when will she be receiving it.” I have to attend Physical Therapy & Occupational Therapy 3 times a week starting at 6 weeks and it’s unknown when and if the numbness in my arm and hand will ever go away.

Fast forward to December and still dealing with me being out on workers' comp, our well tank went out at our house. On Thursday, December 5, 2024, Cody was attempting to repair/replace the well tank when life threw a bigger curveball at us.

While attempting to replace the well tank, Cody suffered a distal bicep tear in his right arm. The tendon attaching the bicep to his forearm tore completely. We ended up taking him to the hospital immediately where they informed us he was going to need surgery ASAP to repair the tear and to prevent him from losing all function of it.

With Cody being in law enforcement, this was a huge deal as he is right-handed and this was his gun hand/arm that was affected. Cody was supposed to work shift the next day (the entire weekend actually) and now had to inform his supervisor of what was going on. On top of me being out on workers' comp, Cody was now also out of work except his was NOT through workers' comp since his did not happen on duty.

Cody’s surgery was scheduled for Friday, December 13, 2024, at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. While speaking with all the doctors involved in his surgery, including his surgeon, it was determined that his surgery would in fact be performed in the morning on 12/13/24 and he would be out of work for at least the next 3-4 months.

We did everything we could to prepare for his surgery including getting all of his FMLA paperwork for work filled out, and all other documents and paperwork that was needed, completed. The day of his surgery on the way home, we turned in the paperwork at the Sheriff's Office. We were told that the Sheriff's Office “does not offer light duty” unless you’re injured on duty or are a pregnant female. (Which does not make any sense to me whatsoever). Cody was later told that if HE found something he could do on light duty, they would be okay with him doing it. (How does it go from not offering light duty to he has to now find something to do himself?) Doesn’t make sense to me.

The Sheriff's Office opened up a leave donation for him to receive hours while he’s out with his surgery and the recovery time. Cody received a phone call from HR, informing him that he would have to decide whether or not to receive a full check with the hours donated or only receive a partial check so the hours that were donated would cover his monthly insurance dues that were owed. It was explained to him that if he didn’t have the hours to cover his monthly insurance dues, they would potentially fire him. As you may understand, this made for even more stress and concern. Cody chose the option to receive a partial check to make sure his monthly dues would be covered so he didn’t end up “getting terminated.”

Fast forward to today - and we are at the point where we are swallowing our pride and asking for help. Cody is officially out of hours that were donated and he is still not able to return back to work. Cody is on a 2lb weight lifting restriction and has several other follow-up appointments to make in Jacksonville. He will also have to start Physical Therapy (should be around the 3-month mark), before he can even return to work. I myself am still out of work, and workers' comp is still late on sending me my checks. We both went from getting paid every two weeks to now only relying on my workers' comp checks when they decide to send them out and get them to me.

We have several appointments to still make, monthly bills that are quickly piling up, a six-year-old son to take care of, and 4 dogs. Not to mention the medical bills from Cody’s surgery that have already racked up to close to $4,000.00 just in those. Now we also have to figure out how to make sure his monthly insurance dues are paid so that the Sheriff's Office doesn’t “terminate him.” We have done everything we can think of to avoid it getting to this point.

Making this GoFundMe has not been an easy decision - part of why it has taken us so long to do it. We’ve tried to make it by with what little we have so we didn’t have to ask for help. Before either of us got injured, we started the process for Cody to receive his VA benefits. As some of you may know, that takes a lengthy amount of time and unfortunately Cody is still going through that process so we don’t even have that to fall back on right now.

We’re making this in hopes to relieve some of the financial stress we’re currently experiencing and unfortunately will be experiencing for the next couple of months.

It’s been an emotional journey and to be honest, putting all of our business out there - it’s very vulnerable.

We appreciate those that have taken the time to read through all of this and we thank you all for your support.