SteveNailStrong
Donation protected
On July 3, 2019, Steve Nail, 61, called his wife, Kris, and asked her to come get him. When she arrived, he was exhibiting signs of a possible stroke. Kris immediately took Steve to St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, unaware it is the only Level 1 Stroke Center in Idaho.
They later learned Steve had a Basilar Artery Stroke. This type of stroke affects the brain stem and is exceedingly rare. Steve had 3 procedures in-a-row to open the artery. The first was a success, only to re-occlude. The second was a success, only to re-occlude. The third finally worked and thank goodness it did because the medical staff was out of options.
After the third procedure, Steve was given a 50/50 chance of survival. The next morning his odds were worse, and he had maybe only a day or two to live. He awoke from the anesthesia and was only able to move his eyelids and a tiny bit of movement in his right arm and leg. He was conscious and cognitively intact.
At that point, Steve was diagnosed as having Locked-In Syndrome caused by the Acute Basilar Stroke, and was placed on life support.
On Day 2 the doctors warned Kris that if he survived, he would most likely never be able to do anything more than move his eyelids. Locked-in Syndrome is a condition in which a patient is aware but cannot move or communicate verbally due to complete paralysis of nearly all voluntary muscles in the body except for vertical eye movements and blinking.
Steve lost the ability to move his arm and leg later in the day, but he could still move his eyelids. He was able to open his eyes for ‘yes’ and close his eyes for ‘no’. Kris asked him if he wanted to live and he said ‘yes’. The doctors were not convinced of his answers, but once Kris learned of Steve’s desire to live there was no stopping her in fighting for his life.
On Day 3, Steve started wagging his head ‘no’ and nodding ‘yes’ when Kris asked him questions.
On Day 4, it came to a point where the doctors were still not convinced Steve was capable of knowing what he wanted. A Neurologist and a Pulmonologist both made it clear that Kris should pursue End of Life Care.
A pivotal, life-saving conversation took place when Kris told the doctor that Steve could nod his head and wag ‘no.’ “He can?” Clearly, this was news to the doctor. “OK, give me a minute with him” – which meant we were all to be quiet and not contribute. Steve, understanding the importance of this interaction with the doctor, gathered what strength he had in order to focus and communicate directly with the doctor.
Afterwards, the doctor said he had no doubt Steve was aware of his surroundings and they would move forward in maximizing what they have to work with. Steve’s diagnosis was changed to Partial Locked-in Syndrome.
A tracheostomy and feeding tube were ordered. He started Speech Therapy to be able to better communicate and Physical Therapy to keep his body moving and ready for when/if he is able to take over.
* * * * * * * *
Nine weeks have now passed since Steve Nail experienced a Basilar Artery Stroke. He has a tracheostomy and PEG (flexible feeding tube placed through abdominal wall) and he has moved to an Acute Care Facility in Boise to focus on rehab.
He now has almost full movement of his head and can breathe on his own. He has moved his knee, foot, toes, hand, and wrist on his right side and has moved his leg, foot, and toes on his left side. He can wiggle his eyebrows and is working on getting his smile back.
As each day passed Steve wowed his family and his doctors with each challenge he reached for. One of Steve’s nurses at the Acute Care Facility told him to, “Use it or lose it.” Steve took that to heart and began practicing raising his eyebrows, which made Kris laugh each time he did it. Being able to squeeze her hand was another milestone.
Recently he was able to sit up on his own in a wheel chair and he is working extremely hard to be able to swallow. He has even begun to say a few words.
Steve's Big Audacious Goal (BAG) is to GO HOME! To do this, he is going to need much more rehabilitation.
Where your money will go
The in-patient rehabilitation program Steve is following requires Kris, Steve’s wife, to be present 24/7. In addition to Kris helping with his rehab and personal care throughout each day, Kris is being taught how to care for Steve once he goes home.
This demanding rehabilitation schedule, along with Steve not currently working, has brought their income down to a level that does not support their minimum living expenses, let alone cover the medical bills.
We want to ensure Steve and Kris do not have to lose their home, lose their business, lose their life savings, or have to declare bankruptcy as a result of these costs.
Our GoFundMe goal has been set at $200,000. Approximately $10,000 a month is needed to pay insurance premiums, medical expenses, and help cover some of their basic household expenses. This amount will not cover the out-patient rehab that will be needed when Steve returns home. Out-patient rehab will cost between $6,000 - $16,000 a month depending on what is needed.
All funds will be handled by Kris, Steve’s wife. If you prefer to write a check directly to Steve, that can be arranged.
A little about Steve
Steve’s wife, Kris, and all of his family and friends would agree he is the straw-that-stirs-the-drink. Steve is a loving husband, father, friend to hundreds*, and a ridiculously proud Grandpa. When Steve is not running his construction business, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, camping, fishing, riding his Harley, and spoiling his granddaughter.
*While we all knew that Steve is a friend to many, we weren’t prepared for visits by the hundreds (yes, hundreds) of people whose lives he has touched. Some came to Idaho from as far away as Florida, Montana, and California to connect with him and pray for his recovery.
To all of you
Kris is extremely appreciative of the many friends and family who have reached out to support Steve through this difficult time. The outpouring of prayers, love, and encouragement has been overwhelming and instrumental in aiding Steve’s battle to survive. He will need your continued prayers, messages of love, and encouragement over the next year so please do not stop!
We have no doubt that Steve will continue to bring to his recovery the strength, determination and persistence that have been a hallmark of his personality and work ethic throughout his life.
Thank you for reading Steve’s story. Please share Steve’s campaign link on social media and with your friends and keep him in your thoughts and prayers. We will keep you posted on his progress going forward. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us directly.
They later learned Steve had a Basilar Artery Stroke. This type of stroke affects the brain stem and is exceedingly rare. Steve had 3 procedures in-a-row to open the artery. The first was a success, only to re-occlude. The second was a success, only to re-occlude. The third finally worked and thank goodness it did because the medical staff was out of options.
After the third procedure, Steve was given a 50/50 chance of survival. The next morning his odds were worse, and he had maybe only a day or two to live. He awoke from the anesthesia and was only able to move his eyelids and a tiny bit of movement in his right arm and leg. He was conscious and cognitively intact.
At that point, Steve was diagnosed as having Locked-In Syndrome caused by the Acute Basilar Stroke, and was placed on life support.
On Day 2 the doctors warned Kris that if he survived, he would most likely never be able to do anything more than move his eyelids. Locked-in Syndrome is a condition in which a patient is aware but cannot move or communicate verbally due to complete paralysis of nearly all voluntary muscles in the body except for vertical eye movements and blinking.
Steve lost the ability to move his arm and leg later in the day, but he could still move his eyelids. He was able to open his eyes for ‘yes’ and close his eyes for ‘no’. Kris asked him if he wanted to live and he said ‘yes’. The doctors were not convinced of his answers, but once Kris learned of Steve’s desire to live there was no stopping her in fighting for his life.
On Day 3, Steve started wagging his head ‘no’ and nodding ‘yes’ when Kris asked him questions.
On Day 4, it came to a point where the doctors were still not convinced Steve was capable of knowing what he wanted. A Neurologist and a Pulmonologist both made it clear that Kris should pursue End of Life Care.
A pivotal, life-saving conversation took place when Kris told the doctor that Steve could nod his head and wag ‘no.’ “He can?” Clearly, this was news to the doctor. “OK, give me a minute with him” – which meant we were all to be quiet and not contribute. Steve, understanding the importance of this interaction with the doctor, gathered what strength he had in order to focus and communicate directly with the doctor.
Afterwards, the doctor said he had no doubt Steve was aware of his surroundings and they would move forward in maximizing what they have to work with. Steve’s diagnosis was changed to Partial Locked-in Syndrome.
A tracheostomy and feeding tube were ordered. He started Speech Therapy to be able to better communicate and Physical Therapy to keep his body moving and ready for when/if he is able to take over.
* * * * * * * *
Nine weeks have now passed since Steve Nail experienced a Basilar Artery Stroke. He has a tracheostomy and PEG (flexible feeding tube placed through abdominal wall) and he has moved to an Acute Care Facility in Boise to focus on rehab.
He now has almost full movement of his head and can breathe on his own. He has moved his knee, foot, toes, hand, and wrist on his right side and has moved his leg, foot, and toes on his left side. He can wiggle his eyebrows and is working on getting his smile back.
As each day passed Steve wowed his family and his doctors with each challenge he reached for. One of Steve’s nurses at the Acute Care Facility told him to, “Use it or lose it.” Steve took that to heart and began practicing raising his eyebrows, which made Kris laugh each time he did it. Being able to squeeze her hand was another milestone.
Recently he was able to sit up on his own in a wheel chair and he is working extremely hard to be able to swallow. He has even begun to say a few words.
Steve's Big Audacious Goal (BAG) is to GO HOME! To do this, he is going to need much more rehabilitation.
Where your money will go
The in-patient rehabilitation program Steve is following requires Kris, Steve’s wife, to be present 24/7. In addition to Kris helping with his rehab and personal care throughout each day, Kris is being taught how to care for Steve once he goes home.
This demanding rehabilitation schedule, along with Steve not currently working, has brought their income down to a level that does not support their minimum living expenses, let alone cover the medical bills.
We want to ensure Steve and Kris do not have to lose their home, lose their business, lose their life savings, or have to declare bankruptcy as a result of these costs.
Our GoFundMe goal has been set at $200,000. Approximately $10,000 a month is needed to pay insurance premiums, medical expenses, and help cover some of their basic household expenses. This amount will not cover the out-patient rehab that will be needed when Steve returns home. Out-patient rehab will cost between $6,000 - $16,000 a month depending on what is needed.
All funds will be handled by Kris, Steve’s wife. If you prefer to write a check directly to Steve, that can be arranged.
A little about Steve
Steve’s wife, Kris, and all of his family and friends would agree he is the straw-that-stirs-the-drink. Steve is a loving husband, father, friend to hundreds*, and a ridiculously proud Grandpa. When Steve is not running his construction business, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, camping, fishing, riding his Harley, and spoiling his granddaughter.
*While we all knew that Steve is a friend to many, we weren’t prepared for visits by the hundreds (yes, hundreds) of people whose lives he has touched. Some came to Idaho from as far away as Florida, Montana, and California to connect with him and pray for his recovery.
To all of you
Kris is extremely appreciative of the many friends and family who have reached out to support Steve through this difficult time. The outpouring of prayers, love, and encouragement has been overwhelming and instrumental in aiding Steve’s battle to survive. He will need your continued prayers, messages of love, and encouragement over the next year so please do not stop!
We have no doubt that Steve will continue to bring to his recovery the strength, determination and persistence that have been a hallmark of his personality and work ethic throughout his life.
Thank you for reading Steve’s story. Please share Steve’s campaign link on social media and with your friends and keep him in your thoughts and prayers. We will keep you posted on his progress going forward. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us directly.
Organizer and beneficiary
Flo Race
Organizer
Boise, ID
Steve Nail
Beneficiary