Wave of Prayers for Steve Balch
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For all of you who know and love Steve Balch, he and his family have been going through a very difficult time. They would be so grateful for your support!
Over the holidays Steve started suffering from serious back pain. It turned out he had 2 crushed vertebrae, a pinched nerve and a fractured disc. While undergoing surgery on New Year’s Eve, he was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a blood cancer that mostly attacks the bone marrow and destroys bones. This is a huge blow as his wife April has been living with brain cancer for the last 15 years.
We only wish this is where the story ends. Just before Steve was released from the hospital, he caught a super flu virus along with double pneumonia. His oxygen level was so low, he was put on life support and transferred by Life Flight to a larger hospital with an ECMO machine. We almost lost him! Steve stayed in a medically-induced coma for over three weeks, and to this day continues to breathe on a ventilator. April has not left his side at the hospital day and night. Their kids have been visiting as much as possible—Riley and Dakota from Dallas, and Braxton flew in from Germany where he is stationed in the Air Force. The entire family has rallied around him, visiting and keeping vigil.
The good news is that Steve is now critically stable. He is no longer in ICU, and residing in a long-term care hospital where he is getting physical therapy. The severe loss of oxygen he sustained originally has meant that he has lost some brain function and unable to move his arms and legs. We don’t know if this is permanent but he is beginning to make some improvements. Cognitively he is doing great and joking around—he is still our Stevo!
Before his first surgery, the main thing Steve wanted to know was if he was going to be able to surf again. At only 58, he is a great father and husband. He has always done what he needed to provide for his family. Unfortunately, his job has been on contract so he has not been drawing a salary this whole time. April is on disability due to the brain cancer. We have all been praying for a breakthrough in Steve's health. He has been in the hospital continually since December 31. You can imagine their medical bills, and right now we are not sure when, or if, Steve will be able to return to work. He needs to start chemotherapy as soon as possible. They could really use any amount of financial help to get them through this immediate crisis while they are making some difficult long-term changes to their lives.
Thank you so much!
Over the holidays Steve started suffering from serious back pain. It turned out he had 2 crushed vertebrae, a pinched nerve and a fractured disc. While undergoing surgery on New Year’s Eve, he was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a blood cancer that mostly attacks the bone marrow and destroys bones. This is a huge blow as his wife April has been living with brain cancer for the last 15 years.
We only wish this is where the story ends. Just before Steve was released from the hospital, he caught a super flu virus along with double pneumonia. His oxygen level was so low, he was put on life support and transferred by Life Flight to a larger hospital with an ECMO machine. We almost lost him! Steve stayed in a medically-induced coma for over three weeks, and to this day continues to breathe on a ventilator. April has not left his side at the hospital day and night. Their kids have been visiting as much as possible—Riley and Dakota from Dallas, and Braxton flew in from Germany where he is stationed in the Air Force. The entire family has rallied around him, visiting and keeping vigil.
The good news is that Steve is now critically stable. He is no longer in ICU, and residing in a long-term care hospital where he is getting physical therapy. The severe loss of oxygen he sustained originally has meant that he has lost some brain function and unable to move his arms and legs. We don’t know if this is permanent but he is beginning to make some improvements. Cognitively he is doing great and joking around—he is still our Stevo!
Before his first surgery, the main thing Steve wanted to know was if he was going to be able to surf again. At only 58, he is a great father and husband. He has always done what he needed to provide for his family. Unfortunately, his job has been on contract so he has not been drawing a salary this whole time. April is on disability due to the brain cancer. We have all been praying for a breakthrough in Steve's health. He has been in the hospital continually since December 31. You can imagine their medical bills, and right now we are not sure when, or if, Steve will be able to return to work. He needs to start chemotherapy as soon as possible. They could really use any amount of financial help to get them through this immediate crisis while they are making some difficult long-term changes to their lives.
Thank you so much!
Fundraising team: Steve's Angels (3)
Sherri Balch Segovia
Organiser
Spring, TX
April Balch
Beneficiary
Riley Clendenen
Team member
Robert Balch
Team member
