Hi. My name is Serena and I am writing what may be the hardest thing I’ve ever written. During the overnight hours of December 19, 2022, Tyler, who is 24 years old, fearless and full of adventurous spirit, suffered a horrific accident.  

Let me tell you a little about Tyler. When he was just 19 years old, Tyler decided to relocate from Kansas to Fort Myers Beach, Florida while on a family vacation to the area. He found a job on the island and moved just two weeks later to start life on his own. During his time on the island, he has worked in resorts, restaurants, and as a guide for beach activities, serving tourists to the island and loving every minute of his life. Many of his friends and “beach family” have reached out to express their gratitude and love for Tyler since his accident, and it’s been so encouraging. We can all see that Tyler has really left his mark on Fort Myers Beach and we know he is loved deeply.

Tyler fell so much in love with the island that he refused to leave during Hurricane Ian at the end of September 2022. He resolved to stay and help his community rebuild and thrive after they were devastated by the storm surge and nearly 200 mph winds. A policeman recently told me they had 25’ of water covering the island during the storm surge. Tyler’s home was completely washed away and he was left homeless, but he never once lost his resolve to stay and support his community. He continued to work and to partner with others in Fort Myers Beach to stay focused on their goals.

Now, it looks like God has some other plans for Tyler, at least temporarily. On the night of December 19, Tyler suffered a terrible 3-story fall, resulting in a massive brain injury. Thankfully, he was found within just a few minutes and was able to receive emergency medical treatment right away. He survived brain surgery that night but he is still in a coma, now almost 10 days later. His parents and family are attempting to stay with him as long as possible in Fort Myers, Florida. He will need to have another surgery before he is stable enough to transport to a different facility. The family is remaining hopeful that Tyler will wake up and is praying for a tremendous recovery! Everyone is also hoping they can get him into a top-notch brain trauma treatment program closer to his larger family network in Kansas, knowing the road ahead is going to long and arduous.

The current costs for the family to stay in Florida are looking like they’ll be averaging about $7000+ per month and we expect Tyler will not be ready for the second surgery until late January, at the earliest. It could be several weeks to several months before we are able to see him home in Kansas.  Of course, the timeline is dependent on Tyler’s progress in fighting to return to us from the coma and to stabilize. Much of the high cost for the family per month is a mixture of the cost of living in the area coupled with the increased costs for lodging since the devastation of Hurricane Ian just a few months ago, since so many Floridians are still displaced in the area. The cost of medical transportation to a facility closer to home, once authorized by his doctors and if Tyler is accepted, will likely be between $10,000-20,000 and may not be covered by insurance. The family does have good medical insurance but, as you can imagine, there are so many expenses in these situations.

The extended family and friends of the Marshall family are asking for this support on their behalf. We know countless people love this family and so many have inquired about how to help during this time. It’s hard for the family to receive this type of help, but it’s in these types of situations when we can really help carry others through a tragedy. If all you can offer is prayer, please know that is just as valuable to us, and we continue to covet your prayers for Tyler’s recovery! We are trusting God through this entire process and are so grateful for all He has done so far.

Please prayerfully consider how you might be able to help the Marshalls (Jeremy, Staci, Madelyn and Austin). We are so grateful for how many people have reached out with love and prayers already. Thank you!