Life flight, ambulance and hospital bills.

From Joseph: 

From Joseph: My house is quiet. I have been sitting here in the silence for a while now. Looking out the window at the river and my heart and mind are having a chat with each other. Both of them talking so much if you were here you couldn't get a word in edgewise. Family and friends. I have been humbled. Here is my Christmas Story. My Miracle. This Christmas season I was awakened and presented a whole different Christmas Tree. 3 days ago, while using my tractor to clear downed trees on our road, I pushed one of those big trees a bit to far and in its tension, it sprung back from the bucket of my tractor and my Christmas Tree hit me in the chest and nearly took my life. It pinned me to the tractor. The pain was intense. I looked down the road to where my son and my boyfriend were clearing more trees off the road. I screamed. Because my son had just turned off the chainsaw, they heard and ran to me. And soon were there by my side. I was hurt bad, and I was in trouble. Darin acted fast and tried to lift the tree from me. It was too big. He yelled back to Denis (who had gone to the neighbor's house to call 911) to get the chainsaw. Denis was there fast. Darin was able to cut the tree and then he and Denis removed the log that still had me pinned to the tractor. Darin was quicky at my side. I knew I was hurt. During that moment, it was a hard thing to look into my son's eyes and realize at that time my eyes were about to shut and may never open again. In my heart I had to let him know how much I love him. I told him that. It was hardest day and moment of my life. I really felt my body shutting down. I felt the cold come over me. The pain was bad. Incredibly bad. I don't remember much from there. They later told me I was in and out of consciousness. They told me my body was seizing and they told me I had moments I was barely breathing. As they waited for EMS to show up, they told me a neighbor's son brought blankets to warm me. They told me that neighbor Ryan Desmond talked to me to keep me awake. I don't remember any of this. Soon, EMS arrived and they began the process of assessing my injuries. I was still on the tractor. They told me my right leg was twisted into the letter "S" from how the tree hit me. I do remember the pain as they lowered me from my tractor to a board and into the ambulance. From there it is all a blur of activity as IVs were started and monitors and oxygen were placed. By ambulance, I was transported down the road to a church parking lot and we were met by a Med Flight Helicopter. I was stabilized and airlifted to the CMMC Trama Center. From there many tests were done. They found my sternum had taken the brunt force of the tree and my heart was swollen and bruised. And yet miraculously not one broken bone. The also found that the cartilage from my sternum to my ribs was torn. When I breath, my ribs and sturnum now move independently. It hurts but pain meds make it easier to breath. My right leg is very swollen from my hip down to my foot. But no broken bones! It will heal. Through the grace of God and skillfully trained EMS and the wonderful folks at CMMC in Lewiston I was kept for only 2 nights and then discharged home for Christmas! I am sore and I have healing to do, but I am alive. I get to spend Christmas with my family and that is the best gift this man could ever want. And, I get to look into my son's eyes again. I cannot thank everyone enough who has helped me. I truly know I am blessed. Darin Douin , my son, Thank You, I love you. And Denis, my boyfriend, who is not on Facebook, Thank You, I love you. You guys saved my life. Neighbors, Thank you! Local EMS, Thank you! LifeFlight, Thank you! You are all are amazing people! A very Merry Christmas to you all.

My best friend , Joseph Douin, was clearing trees off his property after Mondays pre Christmas storm here in Maine. A big tree came down and pinned him into his small tractor. Without his son and partner cutting the tree off him, he may not be here. It required an ambulance, a life flight helicopter ride, and loads of medical

bills above and beyond his insurance. Please share and help fundraise as much as possible to help him pay down these overwhelming bills. This will be a long and painful recovery but anyone who knows him, knows he’s stubborn as a mule, and tough as nails. Thank you for any help after this horrible event.