Jon Short Recovery Fund
Beschermde donatie
As friends and family we are organizing this GoFundMe on behalf of Jon and Kristie (aka Mr. and Mrs. Short, as they are known to the hundreds of elementary students they’ve taught over the years).
On September 11, what was supposed to be an uneventful afternoon jog turned Jon and Kristie’s world upside down. While running Jon remembers seeing a red truck and then after an unknown amount of time waking up on the ground. He has Traumatic Brain Injury Amnesia, but the doctors determine that he had been hit, thrown over the vehicle and left on the side of the road. The investigation into the hit-and-run is ongoing, but without witnesses the case is stalled. Jon was told by doctors that he was lucky to have survived at all - something we are all grateful for.
Jon spent the next three days in the trauma center of the hospital followed by three weeks in the Neuro Specialty Rehabilitation Unit. He suffered a traumatic brain injury, a broken back, a torn labrum, rotator cuff and ACL, among other injuries. He has had to relearn how to walk, and still requires assistance to get around. His brain injury is serious and will take years to recover from. He will require more surgeries to repair his shoulder and knee, but will only be cleared for these once his back heals. Jon has years of physical and cognitive therapy ahead.
Jon and Kristie are so grateful to all of those friends and co-workers who have already extended their generosity and kindness to them. They haven’t wanted to ask for assistance because they don’t want to burden anyone else. So as their advocates, we are extending the ask in their behalf. All monies will go directly to helping Jon and Kristie meet their immediate needs caused by lost wages, as well as go to paying medical bills now and in the future. Through their work they have served our community, taught, nurtured, and encouraged our children and now it is our turn to be there for them.
More about Jon and Kristie:
Jon met his wife, the former Miss Kristie Peterson, at the elementary school they both work at. Kristie has taught 1st grade for eight years. Jon started out working with the special education teachers and became the PE teacher shortly after.
Jon has always been active, running marathons and completing a triathlon just four days before the hit-and-run. Jon’s high energy and excitement for physical activity is contagious. Mr. Short, as he’s known at school, is a go-getter and wants everyone to be excited about fitness and have a fun and positive experience. On any given day you could find him on the fields during recess organizing tournaments, getting kids moving and positively motivated, and restoring hope to the student who watched their ball careen onto the roof, knowing it would ultimately be rescued by Mr. Short. On field day you’d find him running 5-gallon buckets of water back and forth about a hundred times for his 700 students. On the day of the Fun Run he’d run the course over and over with every student who wanted help meeting a goal, even if just to finish. Jon is always ready to jump in and help at school.
These injuries would be devastating to anyone. For Jon it had been especially tragic as he has focused his life on athleticism not only because of his work as a PE specialist, but as a form of physical therapy, helping him to manage pain from injuries he sustained in accident earlier in life which left him with a steel plate and eight screws in his foot.
Mr. Short’s influence has been felt by many in large and small ways.
Medical bills are piling up, and as this was a hit-and-run they are reliant on Kristie’s insurance only, which they are grateful to have. Jon didn’t have insurance benefits at the school because his job as PE teacher was a part time position. It was just one of many jobs he was juggling at the time.
Please consider making a donation to ease the burdens they are facing. There is a long road to recovery ahead and all of life’s other plans have had to be set aside while they focus on Jon’s healing. An investigation into the driver of the vehicle is ongoing but with few leads. Anyone with any information regarding the accident is asked to call the Herriman Police Dept (Utah).
On September 11, what was supposed to be an uneventful afternoon jog turned Jon and Kristie’s world upside down. While running Jon remembers seeing a red truck and then after an unknown amount of time waking up on the ground. He has Traumatic Brain Injury Amnesia, but the doctors determine that he had been hit, thrown over the vehicle and left on the side of the road. The investigation into the hit-and-run is ongoing, but without witnesses the case is stalled. Jon was told by doctors that he was lucky to have survived at all - something we are all grateful for.
Jon spent the next three days in the trauma center of the hospital followed by three weeks in the Neuro Specialty Rehabilitation Unit. He suffered a traumatic brain injury, a broken back, a torn labrum, rotator cuff and ACL, among other injuries. He has had to relearn how to walk, and still requires assistance to get around. His brain injury is serious and will take years to recover from. He will require more surgeries to repair his shoulder and knee, but will only be cleared for these once his back heals. Jon has years of physical and cognitive therapy ahead.
Jon and Kristie are so grateful to all of those friends and co-workers who have already extended their generosity and kindness to them. They haven’t wanted to ask for assistance because they don’t want to burden anyone else. So as their advocates, we are extending the ask in their behalf. All monies will go directly to helping Jon and Kristie meet their immediate needs caused by lost wages, as well as go to paying medical bills now and in the future. Through their work they have served our community, taught, nurtured, and encouraged our children and now it is our turn to be there for them.
More about Jon and Kristie:
Jon met his wife, the former Miss Kristie Peterson, at the elementary school they both work at. Kristie has taught 1st grade for eight years. Jon started out working with the special education teachers and became the PE teacher shortly after.
Jon has always been active, running marathons and completing a triathlon just four days before the hit-and-run. Jon’s high energy and excitement for physical activity is contagious. Mr. Short, as he’s known at school, is a go-getter and wants everyone to be excited about fitness and have a fun and positive experience. On any given day you could find him on the fields during recess organizing tournaments, getting kids moving and positively motivated, and restoring hope to the student who watched their ball careen onto the roof, knowing it would ultimately be rescued by Mr. Short. On field day you’d find him running 5-gallon buckets of water back and forth about a hundred times for his 700 students. On the day of the Fun Run he’d run the course over and over with every student who wanted help meeting a goal, even if just to finish. Jon is always ready to jump in and help at school.
These injuries would be devastating to anyone. For Jon it had been especially tragic as he has focused his life on athleticism not only because of his work as a PE specialist, but as a form of physical therapy, helping him to manage pain from injuries he sustained in accident earlier in life which left him with a steel plate and eight screws in his foot.
Mr. Short’s influence has been felt by many in large and small ways.
Medical bills are piling up, and as this was a hit-and-run they are reliant on Kristie’s insurance only, which they are grateful to have. Jon didn’t have insurance benefits at the school because his job as PE teacher was a part time position. It was just one of many jobs he was juggling at the time.
Please consider making a donation to ease the burdens they are facing. There is a long road to recovery ahead and all of life’s other plans have had to be set aside while they focus on Jon’s healing. An investigation into the driver of the vehicle is ongoing but with few leads. Anyone with any information regarding the accident is asked to call the Herriman Police Dept (Utah).
Medeorganisatoren (3)
Rebecca Lawrence
Organisator
Salt Lake City, UT
Kristie Short
Begunstigde
Blair Peterson
Medeorganisator
Liberty Kluse
Medeorganisator