Hi my name is Kristine, I am almost 60 years old and I can fully testify to the fact that everything you thought you knew in life can be taken from you in one senseless moment. There are no words to describe trying to continue to function physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually when tragedy strikes.

My beautiful daughter (in the photo) was involved in a senseless, tragic accident in September of 2022. When the EMS arrived she was dead. After several rounds of CPR and the Grace of God, the breath of life was returned to her. Having been 17 minutes or more without oxygen she suffered what the doctors call an anoxic brain injury. The neurologists in the trauma center told me and her husband of six years that she had less than a 1% chance of surviving such trauma.

Well, I am also able to testify to the fact that my God is a God of miracles. She is now walking, with assistance. Talking with a permanent tracheostomy and trying to function at home after 5 months in the hospital and an acute respiratory care facility.

Through this horrific journey, I have come to recognize and acknowledge several things not only in my head but more importantly in my heart. My son-in-law (in the photo) loves my daughter in ways I had never seen before, and in a way, I could only dream of being loved. This young man fully understands the commitment he made to my daughter and his family of 4. He has been shaken to his core, which I have personally witnessed. But in every weak moment, in the dark nights of the soul, in the silence of his pain, in his moments alone and unknowing, he has stood firm! He has continued to provide for his family, he has stepped up and assumed the role of mom and dad, housekeeper, laundry attendant and now full-time caregiver. My admiration, compassion and love for my son-in-law have grown exponentially during this season of life, which in turn has placed a heavy burden on my heart to help in any way I possibly can.

I have never asked for help before, so this is extremely difficult to process in my head. But when I look deep inside my heart and lean not on my understanding I see my son-in-law, my daughter and his family needing help. I am trying to raise funds for my son-in-law to pay for 24-hour in-home health care and tracheostomy care for his wife until she can fully function on her own once again.

We do not know how long this will take but together and by the Grace and Mercy of God we will overcome.

The recovery journey for a survivor of a traumatic brain injury and the family is most definitely not a sprint but is instead a marathon.

Thank you and God Bless