Support Keith's Journey to Recovery

On 12/30/25, we almost lost Keith. Keith hadn't been feeling well, but we thought it was just a winter virus. Until I found him in bed with his lips, nose, and ears turning purple and a pulse ox of 34! We rushed to NFMMC where he was quickly admitted to the ICU. They couldn't get oxygen into his lungs and needed to intubate him. During the intubation, they discovered that his throat was nearly swollen shut. Something was nicked and started bleeding. They finally had to use their smallest tube, and he nearly died before they succeeded. We were told to call the kids/family to say goodbye. He's a fighter and proved them wrong. A week later, they decided that he needed a tracheostomy to get better oxygen supply. Again, they said he may never be off the trachea, ventilator, or wake up. My wonderful fighter woke up. Weaning off the vent was a slow process with many setbacks. He's never stopped fighting. As of 2/11/25, he is on oxygen only through his trach. He's learning how to speak and eat again. He's having to re-learn how to walk and use all his muscles again after being bedridden for 44 days. He still has a long road to recovery. Our next steps will be removing the trach and a rehab facility for intensive physical therapy. We are so blessed and thankful that he is still with us. Unfortunately, insurance only covers 80% of the medical costs. 44+ days of ICU, specialists, tests, medical equipment, meds, etc... The 20% on our side is mounting up quickly. We're still unsure of when he will even be able to return to work. Any donations would be greatly appreciated and would help relieve some of the stress that goes along with unexpected large medical bills.