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Tristan's road to recovery!

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Staff at Center for Technology, Essex (CTE) and friends of Tristan have come together to support this teenager and his family in their time of need. Tristan is described as a "gentle soul" and "always willing to help."


Tristan is an 18 year old who was recently involved in a significant farming accident and has a traumatic brain injury. Tristan's family run a local farm in Richmond, VT where Tristan's accident occurred.  He was mending the barn when he fell, head first.  Thankfully he survived and is out of ICU and on the road to recovery...but it is going to be a long road of rehab.

Tristan was a home school student prior to attending Center for Technology, Essex this year where he was in the Natural Resource-Mechanical program.   In addition to excelling at school, he also just recently participated in SkillsUSA. 


Prior to planning a GoFundMe, CTE contacted the local farming community and found out how difficult things have become for farming families. One local farming family stated "people don't realize how bad farming is right now.  It's so bad that farm families can barely survive financially. It's awful."   


According to a recent article in the Burlington Free Press* "Vermont  has seen the number of farms drop from 1,015 in 2010 to 739 today, down 27 percent. Milk prices need to be at about $19 per hundredweight (for 100 lbs) of milk for most farmers to BREAK EVEN and right now it is barely over $15/cwt."  To simplify this even further, the farmer doesn't get anywhere near the price people pay in the store for a gallon of milk. If they did the farmer would be making $50/cwt...not $15! 


Why do we discuss this?  Because this is the reality that Tristan and his family are facing.  They are not only trying to run their dairy farm and make ends meet, but are now in the financial position of paying for hospital and rehab bills for their son.  While Tristan is making progress and has been transferred to an in-patient rehab unit, there will be many months of rehab recovery.  At this time the prognosis is unclear on what the future holds, or how much financial support will be needed. What we do know is that the cost will be substantail.

The hope is to not only reach the goal of $100,000, but to surpass it!  Please, consider helping this deserving student and family. In addition to donating, please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers...and forward this message on to others!

*Burlington Free Press Article
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Donations 

  • Anonymous
    • $45
    • 7 yrs
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Organizer and beneficiary

Christine Chase
Organizer
Essex, VT
Anje DeGraaf
Beneficiary

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