Don Furrey's Recovery Fund


Hello, my name is Lina Furrey and I really can’t believe I’m writing this but I am.  My husband and love of my life for 25 years was a very active and healthy 62year old, with no underlying medical conditions.  On May 22, 2020 our lives changed forever.  One minute we were sipping margaritas and planning a little get away, talking about the pride we had in our daughter Savannah who just graduated college and the next minute Don had a sudden headache with difficulty speaking.  


Don was having a stroke, which turned out to be a massive bleed deep within his brain (intraparenchymal / intraventricular hemorrhage) and I later learned the mortality rate for this type of stroke is 75%. I called 911 and Don was rushed to the hospital where he had emergency brain surgery and was put into a medically induced coma for two weeks . He was in the ICU for about a month and was transferred to a rehab facility called Neuro Restorative, where he’s been currently living for the last 3 months.  At this facility he works with a speech,occupational and physical therapist on a daily basis.  He’s able to feed himself with supervision and walk within parallel bars with his physical therapists support. Don also suffers from aphasia, making all methods of communication a challenge.  He’s making progress but has a very long, long way to go.


One of the hardest things about all of this is, I’m not able to be inside any of the places he’s been.  I haven't been able to hold my husband's hand, touch him, hug him or just sit with him because of the restrictions in place.  It’s been four months since we’ve held each other.  Our daughter Savannah, and I have regular visits through a window a few times a week and we talk to him through facetime daily.   


As you can imagine, the type of long term therapy and care Don’s going to need is extremely expensive and insurance will only cover a portion.  His doctor estimates he’s going to continue to require 24 hour care and intense therapies for the next year.  These therapies are the best chance he has to regain his independance back.  The best chance he has to be able to communicate effectively.  The best chance he has to be as close to himself again.  It is with utmost humility and gratitude that I ask for your help in raising funds towards Don’s recovery.  These funds will help Don receive the best care in his progress back to all of us.

To help me out with the finances, I've asked my mom, Alice Watts, to manage the funds for Don and I.  


I will write updates about Don on this page to keep all of you informed regularly.  He’s a fighter and I know he’s going to be out there fishing and enjoying life once again.