Update: 8/12/2024

So my dad is doing better, but we still have a long road ahead. They have moved him front the ventilator to a trach with oxygen. He is very frustrated cause he still can’t move the left side nor can he talk. The infection is moving in the right direction although he is still coughing up tons of secretions. His platelet count is still high so they have called in hematology. They think we may be talking about a placement facility soon. My mom is tired, she’s working, trying to take care of me and my brother, and going to the hospital every day. She’s always been very independent and never asks for help from anyone. That’s why **I’m** still asking for everyone’s  help. There are still a lot of unknowns and a long road of recovery ahead. Thank you for your continued support and prayers! It means so much! 

07/24/2024

I am sad to announce that my father Rick  Layer, was found laid out on our driveway Wednesday morning unresponsive; thank you to our wonderful neighbors who found him or he would no longer be with us. Rick has suffered a severe stroke. He had a huge bleed on the right side of his brain. He was rushed to emergency surgery to clear the hemorrhage. The surgery was partially successful.

Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is he will not be able to work for quite some time, if ever again. So his family has lost his income. He has a long road of recovery ahead of him. 

The hospital the ambulance brought him to does not accept his insurance, so the medical bills are going to be overwhelming, this coupled with the fact that he is unable to work, is why this fund was made.

Currently he is paralyzed on the left side and unconscious. The blood re-distribution is not going as well as they hoped.. the "squiggles" that make up the brain tissue are obscured which means there is brain damage; we just don't know how much. There is also still blood at the stem of the brain, which is worrisome to both the medical staff, and for us.

They are continuing CT scans and MRIs in the next few days to see if there could be any other causes of the bleed that they missed, or anything that could cause another bleed. He is still unresponsive on the left side. She does not know if he will regain that mobility but I am going to claim that he will!!

He can follow commands when they lower sedation but is unable to open his eyes... he will remain on the ventilator as he cannot currently breathe on his own. He vomited when he came in and they think some got in his lungs, so they are treating him for pneumonia. He is running a low grade fever that they are currently treating with ice. They say that is normal for everything going on, as is his high blood sugar. 200+ atm. The entire left side of his skull will remain off for 3-6 months, and if everything goes as planned then they will reattach it at that time.

Current as of 7/28/24: They think he is having mini seizures this morning which is also normal with everything going on ... they expect he will have more...and they are treating him for that as well. Doctors say he has a VERY long road ahead of him. He will not be going home any time soon...

Thank you everyone who has reached out, if you know Rick at all you know he loves people and would do anything to help anyone he met. The outpouring of love we are receiving humbles me. Hold your loved ones close it can all change in an instant.