
Leslie Brindle Recovery
Donation protected
Hi, my name is Codi. My dad, Leslie Brindle, got into a wreck on Friday March 17th on his way home from working in Washington D.C. His oxygen levels plummeted while driving and he lost consciousness, hitting a tree right outside of Richmond, Virginia.
A guardian angel of a human followed him and called my mom to inform her and also contacted EMS and waited for them to arrive. My dad was taken to the nearest hospital and admitted immediately under a trauma name due to his condition. Though he was conscious when he arrived and able to speak, he could not move his legs and was in a lot of pain. He ended up crashing due to low oxygen and was emergently intubated and put on a ventilator at 90% pure oxygen.
Once evaluated by neurologists and given a CAT scan and ultrasounds, it was determined that he had a very critical burst fracture in his T12 Vertebrae on his spine that was compromising his spinal cord and spinal canal as well as fluid in his lungs and around his heart.
After a rough fight on Saturday, we were told he'd need spinal fusion surgery to stabilize his spine before he could move anywhere closer to home in North Carolina and that he was nowhere near stable enough for surgery. We were stuck hoping he'd simply survive. Throughout the night on Saturday, he made dramatic improvement that was unexpected and it was determined that they'd take him for surgery as the first of the day while a window was open that he was stable.
He successfully underwent a T12 Laminectomy and T11 to L1 Multilevel Thoracolumbar Fusion. We are still waiting on a prognosis on whether or not he'll have any function, but we've been told it was a "complete injury" and to expect complete paralyzation from the T12 vertebrae down, meaning he's more than likely lost complete control and feeling of his bowels, bladder function, waist, legs, feet, etc.
Luckily, we have been wrapped up in love and surrounded by a world of support. My dad's company has taken care of our lodging and expenses while here. Unfortunately, my mom is out of work while he's recovering and though she has PTO and things of that sort, it's still going to be quite a financial strain given the longevity of recovery that we're expecting. He's currently still on a ventilator and not out of the woods yet, and though things have been trending in the right direction we're currently at a plateau for his lungs.
My mom and I drive older cars, so commuting to Richmond long-term is a concern. Given my dad's current medical condition, we believe we'll need a van for transportation for him once he's out of the hospital to get him to the copious amounts of therapy we're expecting from the information we've received from neurologists.
My mom isn't a person to ever ask for help, but I have seen the love and support surrounding her and my dad right now and truly believe this is a time to overrule her on this. Any funds raised will go to helping provide transportation options for my dad long-term and for the commutes to Virginia, creating accomodations in their home for wheelchair access and other things they may need to accommodate this new life of theirs/ours.
Above all, we're grateful and thankful for every well wish, prayer, and good thought sent our way. My dad is not able to respond, but he is able to hear everything and I've told him of all of the people surrounding him with love and well wishes. I truly believe it's part of why he's improving so miraculously. Thank you for everything
Co-organizers (2)
Codi-Alyssa Southerland
Organizer
Newton Grove, NC
Leigh Brindle
Beneficiary
Shawna Hemphill
Co-organizer