Steve Hoff & Family

This is my husband Steve and this is our story. He is a 37 year old loving and  devoted father of four amazing children, aged 16, 14, 7, and 5. He is also a veteran of the United States AirForce, a former flight line crew chief. Senior Airman Hoff proudly served from 1997-2001, honorably discharged. Immediately following, he served for two years in the Air National Guard. He is a fiercely loyal friend to many, and through our years together I've noticed that he also just seems to attract the best kind of people. Some of the most loving, caring and generous people I know, I would have never met, if it were not for Steve. He is truly the salt of the Earth, as are his nearest and dearest friends. 


Steve was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis on Jan. 17, 2014. Because of his MS, Steve is often very fatigued, and has recently begun to suffer from pain and fatigue in his legs as well. He has recently become unemployed, due to complications of MS. Through all of this, he has maintained a positive attitude and refuses to let it get him down. Just as with any other challenges he faces, he simply says, "It is what it is, and worrying isn't going to help, we'll figure it out, we'll make it work". 


Near the end of March 2014, we were unexpectedly given notice that our landlord (of our rental home that we have lived in comfortably for close to 10 years) was selling the property, and we had to be out by April 30th. With Steve no longer working, we were suddenly faced with the challenge of finding a new home that will meet our basic needs and that we can afford.

On Sunday, April 5, 2015, we hit rock bottom. (At least I hope so!) While visiting with some near and dear friends on Easter Sunday, Steve was involved in a roll-over accident in an off-road vehicle. He was bleeding badly from the top of his head, nose, and right ear, as he had sustained multiple skull and orbital fractures. When paramedics arrived, he was still conscious, but quickly becoming less coherent. A neighbor's sister who is a CNA and happened to be visiting was already by his side applying pressure to his head wound, and did not allow him to get up or move, even though he was adamant that he was okay. She quite possibly saved his life. Still concious, but becoming less and less coherent, he was flown by Flight-for-Life to Froedert Hospital in Milwaukee, where he underwent an emergency craniotomy to evacuate a large epidural hematoma. His CT scan showed that there was so much pressure from the bleeding, that his brain had shifted 12 mm from the midline. We were told that had he arrived 30 minutes later, and he would have died.
Amazingly, Steve was sent home only five days later, but now requires 24 hour supervision. He is also undergoing Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy, to get him where he needs to be - we are cautiously optomistic that he is going to make a full recovery, but it may be a long road. TBIs can be unpredictable, so only time will tell.



If you know Steve, you know that he is very strong, in both body and mind, and can be stubborn at times, in the words of his childhood hero, Walter Payton, he would "Never Die Easy".  However, our challenges over the last few months are taking it's toll, and I worry that the mounting stress will hinder his healing brain and/or trigger MS relapses and complicate things for him even more during his recovery. 

I worry about how substantial the medical bills will be - I imagine that was not a cheap helicoptor ride :) - if he will need long-term therapy, I worry about the possibility that at any moment his condition can change, not to mention the worries of finding a new home and the expenses that moving entails. I worry that it will be a challenge to find a home that will accommodate Steve's needs, have enough space for our growing children, and that we can afford on just one salary, but right now our priority is Steve's recovery.

If you are reading this and can help,  we thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, and bless you for your generosity and kindness. If you are unable to donate, but would still like to help, please share Steve's story via Facebook, email, or other social media that you think may be effective.

Thank you for taking the time to read about the love of my life. Steve is our rock - we came VERY close to losing him and I don't know what we would ever do without him. He deserves so, SO much more than the recent cards he's been dealt. With a little hope and a little help, I pray that things can only get better from here!

~Amanda Hoff