Rally as Mustang Family for Clif Warford's Recovery and Care

My name is Kelli McElroy. I am a teacher at Oologah High School. I have recently met and become friends with Tawnda Warford. She and her husband Clif Warford are both new teachers/coaches in the district and could use all of the support we can give to them. Clif is the high school girls Basketball coach but has been unable to come to work due to serious medical issues. Here is their story. It is my hope that our community rally around them to raise money to support them during these difficult times and show them what being a part of this Mustang Family is all about.

The Warford story:

In April we went to Dallas for our daughter’s 3 Day AAU basketball tournament. While at the games that Saturday Clif got sick (we thought it was food poisoning at first). But once he vomited, he collapsed and couldn’t breathe correctly. He was taken by ambulance to the local hospital where they saw the issue- a tear in his esophagus. They didn’t have the capabilities to treat him so they transported him by ambulance to Dallas Presbyterian within the hour. Once there the ER doctor made a life saving decision to put an emergency chest tube in. See, once the esophagus tore all of his stomach contents flooded his left lung cavity - causing the lung to collapse. This made him septic- and it was because of how quickly this Dr. acted he survived the night. The next morning they placed a stent in the esophagus- hoping to seal the hole so that it may begin to heal. After being intubated for a few days and being treated for sepsis a different surgery was performed to debris the lung cavity. (They had to deflate the lung, wash and scrape out the debris and infection from the lung cavity, and then reinflate the lung). They removed the original large chest tube and placed 3 new chest tubes into his left lung cavity. He was treated the next several weeks (21 days total) to try and get the infection under control and to regain lung strength as well as undergo physical therapy. While he was there our son and daughter-in-law’s home was destroyed by the tornado in Barnsdall, we missed the end of the school year and I exhausted all of my sick leave having to pay $90 a day for the last 10 days of school. Between that, the cost of the 21 days of hotel stay, food, and other expenses I had while staying in Dallas with him, we also had our daughter at home almost 5 hours away that we had to have various family and friends stay with and pay for her daily and end of the school year expenses. While this was going on I was desperately looking for a new home and trying to figure out how to get moved closer to Oologah. I finally found a place (where the rent was around $500 more than our current home), pay all of the new deposits for utilities, as well as for the move itself. All of this drained our savings. Once he was discharged and home expenses continued to pile up. Multiple doctor’s appointments each week- all out of town, his new “diet” and all of the expenses of the original medical supplies began to add up. Around the beginning of July it was time to remove the stent and see if the hole closed/healed. It had closed up considerably- however, not all the way. So, they placed a new stent in its place and discussed the possibility of what the future looked like- hoping that in a few weeks he could go in and try to suture the hole closed. He said the tissue was very weak and he wasn’t sure it would hold. However, more medical problems started. Clif’s body didn’t handle the new stent well. He began vomiting— a lot. He was in extreme pain. He lost more and more weight. He hasn’t had solid food since April 20th. Then he began running a fever and the drainage coming from the one chest tube they left in the left lung cavity changed- it appeared to be infected. So- we went into the hospital again. He was now on the verge of sepsis again. The stent had moved and the hole wasn’t covered. He had lost 40 pounds by this point and was deemed malnourished. They went in and removed the “newer” stent and replaced it again with yet another type of stent. This one was a bit smaller and more flexible- hoping the pain level would decrease and that his body would tolerate this new stent they also placed a feeding tube into his lower bowel. (A J-tube). This was to get his nourishment levels up. Since he has been home he has spent an additional 20+ days in the hospital. This came with additional costs- gas, food, etc. He doesn't have insurance as he is Native American- so all of these medical events come with a bit more added stress- getting referrals and appointments through the Indian Health Services has proved to be challenging. They also don't’/can’t write and fill many of the medications that he needs. In the past 2 months we have paid over $600 in prescriptions. Then once the feeding tube was placed we had to pay out of pocket for the feeding pump, bags, tubing, and the nutrients for it. This was $600+ and will be due to pay again in about 10 days. The goal is to get his nutrient levels up so that his body can handle the big surgery- an Esophagectomy. This procedure entails cutting out a large portion of his esophagus and a portion of his stomach and sewing them together. It is considered to be one of the most painful surgeries one can endure. It will require, in breaking of ribs, several incisions (one being between 6-8” from front to back on the side of his rib cage). It will mean that his diet will change again. Clear liquids, to full liquids, then eventually solid foods. That process could take up to 2-3 months to get back to his new “normal”. Currently, During and after this upcoming procedure he will remain on the feeding tube (costing us monthly to rent) as well as protein shakes (which aren’t cheap), and protein powders. More out of pocket prescriptions as well as weekly doctor’s visits and as few more hospital stays. I estimated that the cost of his shakes, powders, and liquid diet needs are around $150 a week. This wouldn’t be as large of a financial burden except that our previous school district’s pay term was from August-July and Oologah’s is September-August. This means that we have no income coming in for the month of August and nothing until the middle of September when we all get paid on the 15th. With all of our utilities being new accounts there is very little leniency in taking late payments or deferments. At the beginning of this ordeal our family and friends did rally around us and helped raise money to help with some of the costs from the Dallas stay. We are truly blessed to still have Clif around. Still praying for his strength, the upcoming surgery, and his recovery. Also please be in prayer for the at home recovery etc. My nursing skills have improved for sure but I am still learning.