Stand with Kim on Her Healing Journey

I want to introduce you to my friend, Kim. As a native of SWMO, she was indoctrinated into Chiefs Kingdom at an early age. She bleeds red and gold; rain, shine, sleet, snow, extreme heat or freezing cold don’t deter her from attending home games as much as possible. January 18 was no different; tailgate in the same spot as usual, same friends as usual, cheer the Chiefs on to a win, return to the truck…and then…

Kim was a little ahead of part of the group as she returned to their “spot” and encountered two men in the truck, one in the front seat, one in the back. Initially she thought she had the wrong vehicle and stepped back, apologizing. She reassessed the other vehicles nearby and realized she had the right truck. Approaching the vehicle again, she opened the door again and told the men they needed to leave; one jumped out and ran, the other did not. The man that remained slid across the back seat and lunged at her, with both slamming to the ground. Some of her friends arrived back at the truck and subdued the man until security arrived.

As a result of the attack, Kim ended up in the ER in a great deal of pain. X-rays confirmed a broken shoulder and humerus, leading to 4 nights in the hospital to allow for pain management, orthopedic evaluations, and multiple efforts to try to make her comfortable. On Wednesday after the game, she was able to return to St. Louis with the help of the oldest of her two sons and his wife, as she could not drive her car. Almost 4 weeks later, she remains in the care of her family and is unable to work while she waits for her body to heal – or it is determined she needs surgery.

The perpetrator was arrested and charged with assault, with a court date set at the end of February. It’s unclear at this point whether there will be any way to recover damages from him or possibly his insurance, to help cover and/or defray the mounting bills incurred due to the attack on Kim. In addition to the medical bills she is incurring, Kim will be out of work until she is released by the doctor so even her regular day-to-day bills are challenging. Her family is doing everything physically/mentally/financially that they can in support of her in this journey. However, it is quickly becoming overwhelming.

My dear friend has dedicated her life to helping others. As a career social worker, currently as a licensing agent for foster homes, she truly bleeds red and gold because she has a huge heart and will do anything she possibly can to make the lives of others better. She knows the value of help in a difficult time, yet she refuses to ask for assistance outside her family and has said she is “giving it to God” – so this is where I come in.

Kim needs help and I’m asking for it. If you feel compelled to offer any support for Kim as she heals and returns to a new sense of “normal”, it would be greatly appreciated. Whether you are a Chief’s faithful fan, friend, co-worker, friend of a friend, or someone that is willing to “pay it forward”, please know you will be in our prayers.