Caring for the Caretaker

Chris Heuer was on a camping trip in northern Arkansas and started to feel sick a few days later. He went to the ER and was rushed to the intensive care unit. After struggling to find the cause of his 104 degree fever, doctors diagnosed Chris with a bacterial blood infection that damaged one of his heart valves and caused a minor stroke. Ten days later, Chris had open heart surgery to repair the damage caused by the infection. It will take months for Chris to fully recover from the infection and surgery.

Chris’s situation is complex because he and his wife Amy Lake have two daughters, including one with ring chromosome 20 disorder, one of the rarest forms of epilepsy. Helen (14 Years old) has daily seizures, some lasting over an hour. Just months before the blood infection, Chris became the main caretaker for his daughters because Amy started a new job at the University of Missouri. In order to care for both Chris and Helen, Amy is taking an unpaid leave of absence until Chris is ready to resume his caretaking duties. (Her leave is unpaid because she hasn’t been in her new job long enough to qualify for sick or vacation time.)

You can read more about Helen and the Lake/Heuer family in this 2015 article in the local paper: http://www.columbiatribune.com/16c29bb8-6f40-55a9-b22e-9507b207ae6c.html  

Please help my dear friends! Funds donated to this page will be used to cover medical expenses for Chris and Helen, and replace Amy’s income until she is able to return to work on November 20.