Please Help Ellen, Pj and Geoffrey Get Back Home to NC

My name is Thomas Martin, and the sole focus of this page is to get my sister, Ellen Ennis Smith, and her family home from their medical nightmare in Hawaii. Their dream vacation that started in April came to a screeching halt when PJ, Ellen’s husband, became critically ill and was placed in a medically induced coma for nine weeks. Ellen’s adult special needs son, Geoffrey, has been by his mother and stepfather’s side from the start. PJ’s current situation is slow and painful, as he tries to regain the function of his body. Due to his current physical and emotional condition, commercial airline transport is not an option. After nearly 3 months, Ellen needs to get back to her job and support system back in Four Oaks, NC; Geoffrey needs to get back to a normal routine which includes his medical accommodations, physical therapy, and his support dog (Trooper); and PJ wants to get closer to his children and grandchildren as he continues his difficult recovery. Please help us get them home.

I would like to introduce you to the Smith family of North Carolina: PJ is an Air Force veteran, Christian motorcycle member, man of faith, and loving father; Ellen is a devoted wife and mother and an Assistant Principal at Smithfield Selma High School. She is a full-time caregiver for her adult son, Geoffrey, and now for PJ as well. Geoffrey has Cerebral Palsy. He loves riding on the North Carolina/Johnston County Special Olympics Equestrian Teams. Riding is part of both his physical and emotional well-being. He misses his horse and his dog, Trooper, who is also part of his support team.

Earlier this year, PJ surprised Ellen and Geoffrey with a dream vacation to Hawaii. The trip started with making memories, but unfortunately, that is not how it ended. On April 21st, PJ became very weak and had to be transported to the Kaukini Medical Clinic in Hawaii. PJ contracted a fungal infection in his lungs. Due to the fact he is a past solid organ transplant recipient and living with immunosuppression, the doctors intubated PJ and placed him in ICU in a drug-induced coma. Within days of being intubated, PJ’s kidney function failed, and he had to start dialysis. There were several nights that the doctor thought the end was near.

Ellen and Geoffrey have stayed by his bedside since April and have accumulated additional expenses while staying in Hawaii. They have been on an emotional rollercoaster for three months trying to get everyone back home to North Carolina. Ellen continues to hit roadblocks trying to get her family home. PJ has now been at the Kaukini Medical Clinic for 11 weeks. He is no longer on life support but is too weak physically to take a commercial flight. PJ’s private insurance has approved his transfer to a hospital in Durham, North Carolina, but they will not pay for any transportation to get him to Durham Regional Hospital and Rehabilitation Institute. The travel insurance will pay $50,000 of the medical transportation expenses, leaving a balance of $70,000 that the family must pay upfront before any flight arrangements can be scheduled by the hospital staff at the Kaukini Medical Clinic.

We are trying to support the family and get PJ, Ellen, and Geoffrey back home to North Carolina. Because Ellen is Geoffrey’s primary and sole caretaker, they have been confined to a singular hotel room for the duration of their stay and must travel together. Staying in Hawaii is extremely expensive. They have exhausted their savings and are relying on donations from friends and family to help pay for food, lodging, and transportation to the hospital. With funds running low, and Geoffrey needing to continue his therapy, Ellen is now faced with a painful decision for the family. She needs to return home with Geoffrey within the next two weeks. We can only pray that PJ will be strong enough to go home with them and that the family does not have to be separated, leaving PJ in Hawaii to continue his difficult recovery alone. Waking up after nine weeks, PJ is now very frustrated, angry, and disoriented; we are worried that once his family support systems leave, PJ’s condition will worsen. He needs to be in North Carolina, where he can continue to have his family to support him emotionally and physically as he faces a difficult recovery process.

All proceeds from this fundraiser will pay for medical expenses and air transport required to get PJ, Ellen, and Geoffrey back to North Carolina. The family would appreciate any help.