Let's Get Nathanael Well Again

Hi my name is Lee-Anne and our son Nathanael Gilkes is an Air Force ROTC Cadet, and a Tennis Scholar at the Marion Military Institute in Alabama.

He was involved in a motor vehicle accident March 23rd where he suffered multiple injuries. Nathanael now has numerous serious injuries including brain bleeds, multiple cervical and thoracic spinal fractures, dislocations to his left (Tennis) arm, compound fractured ulna and radius on his right arm, broken ribs, fractured collar bone and punctured lungs. He is ventilated, in a medically induced coma. His condition is Critical, but stable.

We need your help to get Nathanael well again and back on track. He has been accepted as a US Air Force ROTC scholar and has several University offers. Ralph and I need urgent assistance for Nathanael, in order to get him well, strong and back on track to be a US Air Force Officer.

Nathanael requires urgent Thoracic Spinal Surgery and multiple orthopedic surgeries. He is on the Neurological ICU at the University of Alabama Medical Centre (UAB), Birmingham Alabama.

Funds will be used for urgent family travel and care expenditure only.

UPDATE MARCH 28th 2024

On the plus side, Nathanael, although still heavily sedated and on a respirator, is able to react to commands when his sedation is temporarily reduced.

Unfortunately he has developed pneumonia which was expected, but has delayed his spinal surgery until the weekend. In total he has 7 thoracic spin fractures and 2 cervical spine fractures and it is this element that the surgeons will fix first.

Please continue to donate and share widely as, he is expected to remain in ICU for 3 to 4 weeks.