Unite to help Melissa Check
Hi, I’m Tom.
Thank you for taking a few moments to consider helping with our cause. I am raising funds on behalf of my daughters' mother, and her husband, Melissa & Andy Check.
Melissa & I have 2 amazing daughters together, Isabella Grace & Alexandria Lynn. 
Although Melissa and I haven’t been a couple for 6 years, she is an amazing mother to our daughters and I couldn’t be luckier to have a co-parent that I know loves our girls more than life itself.
Melissa had a very serious accident at her home, and I am hoping to be able to help her, her husband, and our daughters to adapt and adjust to a new life.
What Happened:
Three weeks ago, a few minutes after face-timing with our daughters, Melissa fell at her house. Something all of us have done a thousand times in our life.
Tragically, when Melissa fell she broke her C2, C6, C7, & T1 vertebra. (These are the vertebra at the top of the spine)
Thankfully EMT’s were able to revive Melissa and transport her to the hospital safely. Doctors performed a successful surgery a few days after the accident to fuse her upper vertebra together.
Due to the accident, Melissa has lost all movement ability from the neck down.
She is currently on a ventilator, and will spend 8+ weeks at a rehabilitation center, where they will attempt to help her regain any movement and the ability to breath on her own.
What I am raising money for:
1. To help cover medical bills. - $50,000
Melissa’s medical bills have already crossed into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and will surpass a million dollars (or more) as she will need dedicated in home medical care for the rest of her life.
2. To ensure that they are able to pay their mortgage & bills. - $10,000
It will take several months before the Social Security Administration will make a final determination on whether Melissa qualifies for Social Security Disability benefits, plus the time it takes for payments to start.
3. House modifications: - $30,000+
a. Install a wheelchair accessible front door
b. Install a ramp system to the front door
c. Widen hallways in the house
d. Install a handicapped accessible bedroom & bathroom on the first floor
4. Purchase a wheelchair lift van. - $30,000+ for a used van
5. Purchase a medical grade tablet - $17,000
This device will follow Melissa's eye movements and be able to construct and speak sentences for her so she can continue to have conversations with our daughters, as well as providing her with access to the internet and other electronic resources.
6. Ensure we are able to provide health insurance and counseling resources for our daughters, to help them adapt and adjust to their new reality. -$3,000
7. Travel & housing costs: - $3,000
This is to help defray costs of Melissa’s husband Andy being able to travel to see Melissa while she spends 8+ weeks at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in Philadelphia.
8. To cover the cost of the Gofundme fees - $4,500 - $5,000
This will offset the amount taken by Gofundme, which is .30 cents per donation plus 2.9% of the total amount donated.
Why this is important to me:
Melissa and I have shared 50/50 custody of our girls for the past 6 years.
Although we have had our share of disagreements over the years, we have never put our personal feelings over the needs of our daughters, and have always provided 2 loving and supportive homes for them.
Our daughters will be staying with me full time while Melissa is in Rehabilitation.
I want to ensure that their mother has all the resources necessary to continue being an active parent in their lives, having just as much time with them as she had before the accident.
There are some things that I think dads do pretty well. They usually revolve around making bad jokes, wrestling on the floor, and using weird voices and silly sounds while reading stories.
But, there are things that moms do that far outweigh these.
Moms are much better at listening, and remembering the important details. They are better at giving guidance to real problems that girls will face as they grow up and become women. I truly believe that a mother's hug to a child is one of the most powerful tools of hope that humans have come up with. Although Melissa may never be able to hug our girls again, I want to ensure our girls are able to have as many of these moments as possible with their mother as they grow up.
I am humbly asking for any help that you may be able to provide, to ensure that Melissa, Andy, & our daughters have as safe and bright a future as possible.
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All donations will be sent directly to Melissa's husband Andy, to be used as necessary for their expenses.
Thank you for taking the time to read through our request for help, and if possible, please share this link through Facebook.
Isabella & Alexandria are the granddaughters of James Eck, 36 year member of Steamfitters 420 Union, and nieces of Matt Eck, current member of the Steamfitters 420 Union.