Jerry & Peggy (Mom & Dad, Mimi & PaPa) were on their way to Indianapolis to see family and friends.  Those who know them know that October is a very difficult month for them for the last 2 years.  They began their trip with an anniversary weekend in Biloxi, then headed north with a planned stop in Prattville, AL, to have lunch with Amanda and Brittney. 
     While on the road Wednesday, Dad began having severe abdominal pain and his fever spiked at 103.6.  Mom drove them on to Prattville (even though she just had cataract surgery and didn't have new glasses!) and got Amanda and Brittney to take them to the hospital.  
     It took six doses of pain medications to take the edge off the pain.  They found out the infection from the biopsy site had returned with a vengeance.  With a white blood cell count of over 40,000 and an O2 level of only 85%, they quickly admitted him to the hospital and began searching for more help.  
     Thursday morning they transferred him to Baptist South in Montgomery, AL.  He was immediately placed in the Cardio Intensive Care Unit with more tube, hoses, and wires than you can imagine.  Over the course of the next 36 hours, his fever dropped but his lungs began taking on fluid.  They had him on a BiPAP machine when I got here that afternoon, which was maintaining his O2 around 92-95%.  His WBC count was slowly lowering.  they began lasix to try and reduce the fluid building on his lungs and heart.  After another 48 hours of medications including IV antibiotics his WBC count dropped below 20k.  Then Sepsis set in from the original infection.  This caused the fluid build ups and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS - google it, not good).  They are also looking at putting him on a ventilator, which none of us want.  The pulmonologist said that we were looking at 4-6 weeks before he could possibly consider a transfer back to Florida.  This is under the best conditions.
     Right now, things are very much up in the air.  We have several prayer chains and groups going.  Being nearly 600 miles from home, casual traveling back-and-forth is not an option.  Mom is going to stay here and Aunt Rosie is coming up to stay with her for a while.  Raven and I have to go home Tuesday, but will be coming up on the weekends until he can be transferred back home.  
     Through a wonderful blessing, we were able to get an AirBnB house a couple miles from the hospital for a week as we all need someplace to go for a shower and sleep when we can.  While they let Mom stay some nights in the room, she doesn't sleep much and there's not a shower to use.  The downside is that its one of the cheapest places we found is $565/week (I'm going to see if the owner will make us a better deal for a longer stay than a week if we can raise the money.).

     We are asking for donations to help with travel, food, lodging, and other costs to help with the expenses and missed work that we'll have over the next month or more during this time.  We have the lodging secured until Saturday morning so this is a time-sensitive request on that issue.  

     If you know Jerry and Peggy at all, you know how caring, loving, supportive and God-minded they are.  They have always been there to help those in need wherever they have lived:  Mt. Carmel, IL,  Indianapolis, IN, Memphis, TN, and Englewood, FL.  We ask for your thoughts, prayers, and any other donations you feel led to make. God bless!

Thank you!