Please help Steve Morlock with his stroke recovery

My name is Brian Childs and I am Steve's right hand man assisting him with the daily operations of his business Outdoor Contracting, Inc. I am fairly certain, that anyone who knows Steve is aware that he suffered a massive cerebellar stroke late last summer. This is a call out for financial help to all the friends, family and anyone else who has experienced a similar situation who reads this in a forum known for helping people like Steve recover from the financial set backs associated with the loss of work and relentless medical bills. The family needs this assistance immediately as we are just a few days past the 6 month anniversary of the stroke. I ask that you give as much as you can, we know for a lot of people right now, the pandemic has you strapped for extra cash, but together, all small amounts can add up to help us reach our goal of $100k, even if it is just $10. I will start the fund with a $500 donation, if 100 people that know Steve could afford to do the same, we will be half way there! Thank you from the bottom of the family's hearts and mine for any financial contributions you may provide that will return to Steve and his family the giving that he has provided to others in their time of need. May God bless everyone who reads this!

Since Steve had his stroke on August 8, 2020 originating from atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat that can lead to clots and strokes. Completely unaware he was living with AFib, Steve was one of the healthiest people I know (according to the doctors too). Thin, active full of vitamins, no underlying health conditions, constantly moving....just overall healthy. After being transported to Kennestone Hospital in the middle of a pandemic, the family received a call from the neurosurgeon saying Steve would go into emergency brain surgery that night. Scary to say the least. Hours and hours into the surgery, Steve's wife Suellen, received the call that the surgery had went as planned and they were able to relieve some of the pressure off of Steve's brain. Next came weeks of ventilators, feeding tubes, heavy medications and waiting, lots and lots of waiting.

The neuro ICU lasted weeks longer than we all were expecting for Steve. Recovering from a massive brain surgery/stroke, yes, but also truly fighting for his life. Breathing machines were suddenly the new way of life in those moments. Steve's daughter Maddy, and his wife, Suellen were allowed in the hospital one day, shortly after Steve was reintubated with aspiration pneumonia while Kyle, Steve's son, started his first semester at college. Kyle has played a major role in Steve's recovery, coming home each weekend to help and allow the girls to go get groceries, etc. To this day, Maddy wishes she would have taken a picture of her dad laying in the neuro ICU, full of foreign tubes and machines so it would serve as a monument today as to just how far he has progressed.

Fast forward to the step-down unit, more and more time passing, Doctors trying to figure out solutions to more and more complications. Everyone praying for an inpatient rehab bed to become available. Eventually Steve was stabilized and an inpatient bed finally opened up and Steve moved to a new wing in the hospital for a couple of months where he could start working towards gaining back all that he had lost through intensive therapy. It is amazing how easy we take for granted breathing, walking, writing, talking, swallowing, seeing clearly without double vision and just moving in general. All of that changed overnight for Steve.

Steve has made a lot of progress since that first call from the case manager and care team (thank you Lord!) Steve is now able to eat and swallow, breathe and move all on his own (all miracles really). He is in therapies each week working on his balance and movements to be able to walk again one day. Additionally, he is working on his speech, which seems to be improving weekly. I have noticed that when he finishes a morning of intense physical therapy, his speech suffers, however, when he has not been put through the rigors of improving his mobility so he can gain the abilities required to return to work in the future, his speech is amazingly improving at a rapid rate, the bottom line, Steve is fighting everyday to get back as closely as possible to the man he was (anyone who really knows Steve would not expect any less from him). Anyone who truly knows Steve, knows he is a man of integrity, he is honest, hardworking, kind, sacrificial, fun and extremely generous in how he conducts his business and personal life.

Months after coming home from rehab at Kennestone, Steve was on another roller coaster ride. Delayed hydrocephalus occurred in his brain, where a gradual build up of fluid pooled up, causing some extreme dizziness and nausea preventing him from getting the physical nourishment he needed. Eventually the Doctors pinpointed what was going on in his brain (another answered prayer) and quickly scheduled him for a second brain surgery where they placed a shunt in his brain to help drain the excess fluid. This has made a MASSIVE difference in his recovery now that he can keep his food down and receive the nourishment needed to continually improve. He has gained back 10 pounds of the 50+ pounds he lost while in the hospital.

Steve still has a long road to recovery in front of him, but he is doing it, he is alive and breathing and that is definitely worth celebrating. The family has mentioned how gratifying it has been hearing the stories from people Steve has helped and affected their lives in a positive manner along the way. 

Ironically enough, Steve was always the one giving to these Go Fund Me pages. His daughter Maddy accidentally saw how much money he gave to one of these pages one day and ask her dad about it. He proceeded to tell her that was life was short and that helping people really does matter. Maddy says she will carry that with her the rest of her life.

Now a new challenge has surfaced in the Morlock family's lives. The home that they are renting is going to be put on the market to be sold when their lease is up in April if they cannot come up with a down payment and qualify for the substantial mortgage it will take for them to stay where they have been comfortable for several years leading up to and through the stroke recovery. If this happens, they will be looking for a new home very quickly.

We hope this page can be a place where money is raised to help with the mounting medical bills, the possibility of continued therapy in a specified stroke program here in Blairsville, every day bills and a down payment on a home.

Once again, God Bless anyone who takes time out of their busy lives to read this and contribute!