The road to get Darrell back on his feet LITERALLY
Donation protected
Hey there! My name is Arianna, and my dad is Darrell Christen. I write this with a heavy, desperate heart.
On August 9th, Darrell rode his stand-up motorized scooter around his neighborhood in Bremerton, WA. While going 30mph, he wobbled and collided with a tree. His friends knew he was going for a ride, so when he did not return, they grew concerned and went looking for him.
They found Darrell lying on the ground crying for help. He could not move or feel his body. Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue had him flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where Darrell underwent surgery to his spine. The surgeons stabilized it from C4 to C7 but informed our family he had a complete spinal cord injury. They said my dad would possibly never speak again and would be paralyzed from the neck down. Life-shattering news, BUT the next day after surgery, Darrell woke up, and his speech and memory were perfectly fine! He was paralyzed but said he could feel his body, which gave us hope too :)
Fast forward to today, almost two months post the accident, and Darrell is moving!! He has moved his arms and legs, and each day he gets more and more range of motion. He cannot grip/hold anything or walk, but it’s a long road to recovery that our family prays for daily.
On top of my father’s recovery, our family has been praying for the past year for my stepmother Cindy Dickerson’s battle with stage 2 breast cancer. Before my dad’s accident, Cindy underwent chemo and surgery and began radiation. Doctors thought she kicked cancer’s butt, but not long after my dad’s accident, they discovered some cancerous cells were remaining. Cindy is going back through chemo while my dad is in the hospital, and both are fighting very difficult challenges.
All of this has affected our family mentally, emotionally, and finically. My dad is a union electrician whose medical benefits run out in November. Cindy’s cancer treatment relies on his union health insurance.
On top of all of this (I know this seems like a lot BECAUSE IT IS), Darrell is scheduled to be released from the VA Hospital on December 7th. He is to return to his split-level home. His expected return is also causing issues because his house is not wheelchair accessible, and it is in need of a complete renovation for him to live comfortably. Renovations need to be completed in just two months!
Cindy is a hairdresser who has been dealing with all of this while trying to finically support her and Darrell's life with only one paycheck while medical bills, renovations, and daily bills pile up all while going through cancer treatment! She is a rockstar.
Our family is begging for assistance! Anything helps!!
Funds will be going to Cindy’s cancer treatment, home renovations to make it accessible for Darrell, an accessible van to transport him, in-home medical care and the daily bills that have been burdening Cindy. Thank you so much for the help. Our family thanks you greatly!
-Arianna
On August 9th, Darrell rode his stand-up motorized scooter around his neighborhood in Bremerton, WA. While going 30mph, he wobbled and collided with a tree. His friends knew he was going for a ride, so when he did not return, they grew concerned and went looking for him.
They found Darrell lying on the ground crying for help. He could not move or feel his body. Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue had him flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where Darrell underwent surgery to his spine. The surgeons stabilized it from C4 to C7 but informed our family he had a complete spinal cord injury. They said my dad would possibly never speak again and would be paralyzed from the neck down. Life-shattering news, BUT the next day after surgery, Darrell woke up, and his speech and memory were perfectly fine! He was paralyzed but said he could feel his body, which gave us hope too :)
Fast forward to today, almost two months post the accident, and Darrell is moving!! He has moved his arms and legs, and each day he gets more and more range of motion. He cannot grip/hold anything or walk, but it’s a long road to recovery that our family prays for daily.
On top of my father’s recovery, our family has been praying for the past year for my stepmother Cindy Dickerson’s battle with stage 2 breast cancer. Before my dad’s accident, Cindy underwent chemo and surgery and began radiation. Doctors thought she kicked cancer’s butt, but not long after my dad’s accident, they discovered some cancerous cells were remaining. Cindy is going back through chemo while my dad is in the hospital, and both are fighting very difficult challenges.
All of this has affected our family mentally, emotionally, and finically. My dad is a union electrician whose medical benefits run out in November. Cindy’s cancer treatment relies on his union health insurance.
On top of all of this (I know this seems like a lot BECAUSE IT IS), Darrell is scheduled to be released from the VA Hospital on December 7th. He is to return to his split-level home. His expected return is also causing issues because his house is not wheelchair accessible, and it is in need of a complete renovation for him to live comfortably. Renovations need to be completed in just two months!
Cindy is a hairdresser who has been dealing with all of this while trying to finically support her and Darrell's life with only one paycheck while medical bills, renovations, and daily bills pile up all while going through cancer treatment! She is a rockstar.
Our family is begging for assistance! Anything helps!!
Funds will be going to Cindy’s cancer treatment, home renovations to make it accessible for Darrell, an accessible van to transport him, in-home medical care and the daily bills that have been burdening Cindy. Thank you so much for the help. Our family thanks you greatly!
-Arianna
Organizer
Arianna Petritz
Organizer
Bremerton, WA
