Stroke Recovery for Eric Thomas

On Saturday, September 18, our dear friend Eric Thomas suffered a hemorrhagic stroke. He was in the parking lot of Tiger Mountain in Issaquah when it occurred, having just finished a mountain bike ride with his close buddy (and my husband) Jon. The stroke started with a sensation of feeling "off" and weak and quickly progressed to a lack of motor function. By the time they reached the hospital 20 minutes later, he couldn't stand on his own and could barely form words.

Eric is presently being cared for at Swedish Cherry Hill in Seattle. He was in the ICU for a few days and then moved to acute care where he is making progress in both speech and movement. He seems to have a clear memory, but cannot read or verbally communicate his thoughts very well. He also has limited movement abilities. He'll remain at Swedish until he is rehabbed to a point where he can safely come home. At that point, he'll need in-home care and continued therapies for the best possible outcome.

Eric has insurance that covers most of the cost of his hospital stay but his post-care recovery will be an extensive process that will require substantial outside funds. Their family will be able to collect some disability payments in the near-term, but with their main source of income on indefinite hold, their long-term financial outlook is more dire. Additionally, Eric will need the time and space required to focus on his rehab from this traumatic event without the additional stress and burden of their lack of income since he will be unable to work for the foreseeable future. Taking all this into account, we worked with his wife Tricia to tally the funds they'll need to ride out this hardship for the next year while Eric recovers. At minimum, they'll need about $75,000 to ensure they can keep their home and bills paid along with providing Eric with treatments he'll need for maximum recovery.

Eric has always been the kind of guy to give the shirt off his back and stop to help a stranger in need. He shows up in his relationships and in life with extraordinary positivity, heart, dedication, and grit. If anyone can persevere through this surprising twist of a health challenge, it's Eric. Let's rally the village now and put the parts in place for his optimal healing. Friends, family, and community at large, we ask for your help. Please consider contributing what you can, as every bit truly matters. Thank you.