Joel Kuiper's Recovery Fund

Please consider giving a gift to the Recovery Fund for:
Joel Kuiper of DeMotte, Indiana
We need help from everyone who reads this. Thanks to all for the awesome generosity and prayers for Joel.
Please read the updates as well as the initial posting of his story.
On Wednesday, October 12, 2016, my younger brother, Joel Kuiper, was in a tragic accident. Joel and another worker were at a job site, and it was time to quit for the day. There were only a couple things left to do, so Joel said the other man could leave, and that he would finish it. Anticipating leaving shortly, Joel continued to clean up around the job site and on the roof where work was being done. While on the roof, Joel lost his balance and fell approximately 12 feet to the ground head first. He actually heard the incredibly loud noise of his neck break. He was not rescued until approximately five long and agonizing hours later by his nephew. Joel was taken to Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital by EMS. Joel was immediately rushed into surgery to stabilize his neck. The result of his fall was an incomplete spinal cord injury at the C3-C4 vertebrae with severe trauma to the nervous system resulting in limited movement of his extremities. Then just three days later while in Intensive Care, he unfortunately had a mild stroke on October 16, 2016. Joel remained in ICU for a total of 16 days where there were 13 doctors treating him. On October 27, 2016, after he had stabilized, Joel was transferred to the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana (RHI) located in Indianapolis. He is currently still there today for healing and continued treatment. At RHI, they specialize in Spinal Cord Rehabilitation.

The following is a description of Joel so that you know more about him. Joel is the youngest sibling to my brother Jim and me. He is a first cousin to George Tatalovich, Jr. who was influential in starting this fund. Joel is 53 years old and lives in DeMotte, Indiana. He is a loving husband of 33 years to his wife Dawn, and he is the father of five children. His youngest child (the only daughter) is currently a sophomore in high school. Joel has four grandchildren who endearingly refer to him as “Poppy.” Joel is a very kind and caring person and is always willing to help others. He is very active in his church and is known for being the chef of large community events. Joel loves to be outdoors and enjoys camping, hunting, and fishing. Joel was just getting back to a normal life after suffering a heart attack in 2013, which resulted in open heart surgery.

Our goal is to give him the peace of mind; so that he is able to focus on his rehabilitation. Joel has gone through so much already during the last several weeks since the accident. George and I would love to partner with you to help take some of the financial burdens away from him.

It is unknown what his prognosis is at this point, because every spinal cord injury is unique. He is likely to have a long road ahead until we know what the full outcome will be from this accident. The family was told that healing could take up to a year. One thing we know for sure is that the medical expenses and other bills will continue to increase for many months ahead.

We would like to mention how thankful we are for the quality of care Joel has received from the doctors, nurses and excellent staff at Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital in Lafayette, Indiana. We also want to thank all of his wonderful providers who are currently treating him at the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana located in Indianapolis.

Joel continues to lift people up with his contagious smile, optimistic attitude, funny sense of humor, and mostly by sharing his faith in Jesus. This in itself is a beautiful miracle. The road ahead may be long and challenging, but Joel is determined to recover. We remain hopeful in this situation and full of gratitude to our Father in Heaven that he is alive.

Going forward, we sincerely appreciate anything you are able to do to help. Any gesture of kindness and love is so appreciated. Whether you are able to give a donation, a prayer, or a card, your contribution will be a tremendous blessing to him and his family.

We are specifically asking for prayer for patience, strength, and healing for Joel. We thank each one of you from the bottom of our hearts for helping Joel and praying for his family.

If you are interested in sending Joel a card or letter at RHI, the address is:

Joel Kuiper
Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana
4141 Shore Drive
Indianapolis, Indiana 46254

 George and I want to thank all of you for any help you are able to provide.

 Sincerely,

 Joan (Kuiper) Burns and
George Tatalovich, Jr.
JOEL KUIPER’S RECOVERY FUND