Donation protected
On Saturday, September 28th, my mom, Paula Gipp, and her husband, Tom, were dirt biking in the mountains near their home in Granby, Colorado. This was a pretty typical weekend activity for them (they’re pretty amazing!) During their descent Tom was ahead of Paula. Moments later he turned around to look for her, he was unable to see her and he knew something was wrong. He went back up the path to find Paula, when he arrived he found her unconscious and not breathing. It was clear she had taken a very serious fall off of her bike. Mountain Rescue was called and she had to be airlifted off the mountain by Flight For Life. She was immediately taken to a level one trauma center in Denver. Upon arrival she was breathing on her own but in a semi-conscious state. Through a series of scans, it was determined that she had suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI). We were told by the doctors only time would reveal the level of damage. We learned the type of injury to her brain was a Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI). This has affected Paula in multiple ways, even after she gained a level of consciousness, she was unable to sit up, eat, or walk and her memory was significantly damaged.
She spent approximately 10 days at the trauma hospital and was then transferred to a nationally renowned rehabilitation hospital that specializes in traumatic brain injuries. We are so incredibly grateful she was accepted as a patient. Along with the medical team at the hospital, including a stellar doctor, speech, occupational and physical therapists, Paula is working to recover from the injury. The recovery has been, and continues to be, a challenging road with many ups and downs as she works to grow new pathways in her brain where the damage is irreversible and learns new skills to make it possible for her to live independently again. There are plenty of challenges yet to be faced, but as a team we are hopeful she will make a significant recovery.
One of the many challenges Tom and Paula are facing is the financial burden of the event. For privacy sake and while analyzing true financial need, we had hoped to never be in a “gofundme” situation, but here we are. Some of the costs incurred include the medical bills from: the Flight For Life rescue, the care she received during the acute treatment at the trauma hospital, and the months of inpatient care at the rehab hospital. Although Paula and Tom live in Colorado, the hospital is almost 2 hours from their home and has required onsite housing due to the 24/7 care Tom is providing with help from me and my siblings. We have already incurred various costs with living away from home and expenses traveling to and from WI. We are so grateful for the amazingly generous gifts we have already received. We anticipate a year long recovery, and have had a number of people who want to help but haven't had a venue, so we hope this page will be a blessing for everyone.
Tom, Paula and all of us kids are humbled by all of the love, messages and support we have received thus far! We are so grateful for each prayer and well wish that is given!!
She spent approximately 10 days at the trauma hospital and was then transferred to a nationally renowned rehabilitation hospital that specializes in traumatic brain injuries. We are so incredibly grateful she was accepted as a patient. Along with the medical team at the hospital, including a stellar doctor, speech, occupational and physical therapists, Paula is working to recover from the injury. The recovery has been, and continues to be, a challenging road with many ups and downs as she works to grow new pathways in her brain where the damage is irreversible and learns new skills to make it possible for her to live independently again. There are plenty of challenges yet to be faced, but as a team we are hopeful she will make a significant recovery.
One of the many challenges Tom and Paula are facing is the financial burden of the event. For privacy sake and while analyzing true financial need, we had hoped to never be in a “gofundme” situation, but here we are. Some of the costs incurred include the medical bills from: the Flight For Life rescue, the care she received during the acute treatment at the trauma hospital, and the months of inpatient care at the rehab hospital. Although Paula and Tom live in Colorado, the hospital is almost 2 hours from their home and has required onsite housing due to the 24/7 care Tom is providing with help from me and my siblings. We have already incurred various costs with living away from home and expenses traveling to and from WI. We are so grateful for the amazingly generous gifts we have already received. We anticipate a year long recovery, and have had a number of people who want to help but haven't had a venue, so we hope this page will be a blessing for everyone.
Tom, Paula and all of us kids are humbled by all of the love, messages and support we have received thus far! We are so grateful for each prayer and well wish that is given!!
Organizer and beneficiary
Shannon Balke
Organizer
Waukesha, WI
Thomas. J Gipp
Beneficiary