On September 18, our son Steele was struck by lightning on Mount Timpanogos in Utah. During that terrifying day Steele tried to save his friend Cole Good's life. They performed CPR for 90 minutes before being instructed to get off the mountain to fight for their own survival.

After the lightning strike, Steele was hospitalized for three days at Holy Cross Hospital Mountain Point in Lehi, Utah. There, he was diagnosed with severe rhabdomyolysis and elevated troponin from the energy that went through his body and was on IV treatment for three days. Steele also endured long-lasting tachycardia with an irregular heart rate, at some points being above 180bpm, and was hypothermic. His muscles locked up at the bottom of the mountain, making him unable to walk.

What happened to Steele was sudden and traumatic, and the medical care he needed has left our family with out-of-pocket expenses we were not prepared for.

This has also taken a deep emotional toll on our family. Steele is now seeing a therapist for PTSD and severe trauma. He is also suffering from a traumatic brain injury as a result of the extreme electrical shock and his brain's fight-or-flight response shutting down less essential functions to focus on immediate survival. This has affected what Steele can retain and contributes to ongoing mental fog. We are carrying the pain of what happened and struggling with the reality that our son survived while Cole did not. That emotional weight is something we are facing day by day as a family.

We are asking for help with the out-of-pocket medical bills from Steele's hospitalization, as well as the ongoing costs of his recommended therapy. Any donation, no matter the size, would help ease this sudden financial stress and support Steele's healing. If you are not able to give, sharing our fundraiser would also mean so much to us. Thank you for standing with our family.