Todd has a Traumatic Brain Injury

Hi, my name is Steve Campbell, and I am raising funds for my brother-in-law, Todd Bitker.

On August 25, 2021, Todd was in a motorcycle accident. He was not wearing a helmet and suffered an extensive Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). He had recently started a new job, and his medical insurance had not yet begun. With no insurance and unable to speak for himself, my wife Brenda (Todd's sister) and I drove from Arizona to Iowa to help our family care and advocate for Todd.

Todd was in a coma with a punctured lung, broken clavicle, shattered foot, and of course, the Traumatic Brain Injury. At that point, the hospital recommended that Todd be moved to a hospice facility and be allowed to die. We were shocked by that recommendation. It was simply too soon. And in the end, my family did not believe that this was our decision to make. Although Todd was in a coma, we told Todd about the recommendation and asked him to decide if he wanted to come back to us or join our family in heaven. To our surprise, Todd started to come back to us almost immediately! Todd spent five months in the hospital healing his other injuries. It was clear that Todd was going to live. But, because of the TBI, it became evident that he would have a very long recovery.

Brenda and I quickly decided to move to Iowa and become Todd's legal guardians. Shortly after we were granted court-ordered guardianship, Todd was accepted for admission to On With Life in Ankeny, Iowa, for TBI recovery and rehabilitation. His progress has been remarkable, but he currently uses a wheelchair and cannot communicate effectively.

Meanwhile, Brenda and I began preparing for the day Todd would be discharged and move into his new home with us in Mason City. The costs associated with Todd's recovery and the pending move are enormous! The funding available through State and Local agencies are minimal, and we have limited personal funds that we can use.

We plan to use your donations for:

• Home renovations for accessibility, including an accessible bathroom, a wheelchair lift in the garage, widening doorways for the wheelchair and converting a home office into a bedroom - about $60,000.

• Future home renovations include remodeling the kitchen and dining areas for Todd's safety and wheelchair requirements – more than $50,000.

• Lodging in Ankeny so we can participate in Todd's rehabilitation therapy and care - about $2,800 per month (beginning February 2022 through his discharge date anticipated to be in August 2022)

• A used handicap conversion van - about $40,000.

• And any future expenses that cannot be predicted at this time.

Thank you so much for your generous donation! Todd’s family, Brenda, and I, will be able to continue to care for Todd with your help. God bless you!