Early Thanksgiving morning, which happened to be his 36th birthday, Josh woke up to go hunting before eating lunch with family later in the day. Around 4:30 a.m., he was involved in a head-on collision in which he was cut from the vehicle and life- flighted to the nearest hospital. He sustained many severe injuries, and he is very lucky to be alive. He has a minor brain bleed, fractured neck, 2 lower spinal fractures, 2 breaks in his left elbow, many broken ribs, a broken knee, dislocated hip and shattered pelvis, and a shattered right foot. He is in extreme pain, but is grateful to be alive. He will be having his first surgery Monday to repair his hip and pelvis. He will also need surgery on his elbow and foot. They have been monitoring the brain bleed and internal bleeding before performing surgery on Monday. So far, the bleeding is stable. If you know Josh, you know that he has had a rough few years, but he is one of the most resilient people I know. Three years ago he beat acute kidney failure. That was one of the scariest times our family has gone through. Two years ago, he was diagnosed with a rare cancer in his jaw and had to undergo an extensive surgery to remove the cancer and then reconstruct the jaw. If he can come back from that, I know he can persevere through this.

Josh's wife Jacquelyn hasn't left his side, and his two children have visited but have had trouble seeing their dad in this condition. There is no timeline as to when Josh may be released, but it is very possible he will spend Christmas in the hospital. With the extent of his injuries, it's also very possible that Josh may be out of work for a year with the physical therapy he will require. It is still unclear if he will fully recover and be the same after this accident. His insurance is good for another month and they may be forced to pay for cobra to keep him insured. This expense on Jacquelyn's income alone will be a struggle, especially this close to the holidays. Our family is doing whatever we can to help them through this time, but we don't know how long of a road this journey may be. If you can help in any way, our family would be eternally grateful, even if all you can give is a prayer. We are taking all the prayers we can get, as we know that he is only here now because of the grace of God. Thank you from the entire Winsett/ Wilson family.