Support Dalton's Road to Recovery

Hello, my name is Whitney and I am reaching out to you for support for my family. My nephew, Dalton was recently involved in a devastating work accident where a tree fell on him; crushing his C7 vertebrae, cracking his sternum, fracturing several vertebrae, bruising his lungs and giving him a concussion. Surgery was done to remove the bone fragments from compressing on his spinal cord and a cage and hardware placed to repair his spine. Due to the trauma to his lungs and swelling, Dalton had a tracheostomy and has been on a ventilator. A PEG tube was placed for nutrition until he is able to begin eating and drinking again. Since the accident, he has been experiencing paralysis from his chest down. He is able to use his arms and hands, but unable to move his lower body. His memory has since returned but suffers from severe headaches. He is able to communicate by writing and mouthing words until he begins speech therapy.

Due to the intensive medical care and extensive path to recovery, Dalton was transferred to the Hershey Medical Center in Pennsylvania where he has been receiving wonderful care in the SICU. The hospital is roughly 1.5 hours from where my brother, Paul and wife, Leah, and family currently live. Leah has been with Dalton every step of the way and will continue to be which has resulted in her being out of work for an undetermined amount of time. Paul has been commuting on weekends to visit Dalton at the hospital; as he has needed to return to work during the week.

Dalton requires intense inpatient rehabilitation and will be transferring within his current network of providers to a facility in Philadelphia, PA. This facility is roughly 3.5 hours from where the family currently resides. The estimated timeline is roughly 3 months of rigorous inpatient therapy with hopes for Dalton to learn to care for himself in his condition, regain strength and ultimately the ability to walk.

When Dalton transfers to the inpatient facility, Leah will be tasked with finding nearby housing accommodations in order to remain with Dalton. In the meantime, Leah and Paul are in process of finding a new home; one that is accommodating for Dalton in his current state and will allow for him to continue to rehabilitate, as their current home is located on the 3rd floor with only steps.

I have set up this GoFundMe campaign to support Leah and Paul while they assist in the ongoing care for Dalton. Your contribution, no matter how big or small, will make a meaningful difference in their lives. We kindly request your support, whether it’s a financial contribution, prayers, or simply sharing this campaign with others.

Thank you for taking the time to read my plea and for considering how you can help my family.