Donation protected
On October 7, 2015 Coach Skip Gilkerson started his early morning trek to pick up his kids for swim practice on his motorcycle, traveling on Hunter Road near San Marcos, Texas. A deer ran in front of him which caused him to swerve losing control of his motorcycle. After laying the bike down he was struck by the truck following behind him. The truck driver stopped, rendered aid, and called paramedics. He was promptly airlifted to University Hospital in San Antonio. Skip arrived at the hospital Wednesday morning at approximately 7:45am where he was rushed into his first surgery at 8:00 am. Skip had multiple internal injuries that needed immediate surgical correction. We were informed by the ER doctor he was in a “damage control” state and in this surgery his heart stopped for a little over a minute but resumed soon after a heart massage procedure was used. Later that traumatic Wednesday, he had his second surgery to explore and fix more internal issues. His wife, Sharon, was escorted by their neighbors to the hospital once the news was brought to her via the police department. The Police Department was alerted once Nan, our San Marcos Athletic Secretary, who was informed he did not pick up his beloved swim kids for practice. Knowing this was not like Coach, she quickly alerted our school secretary to call in a wellness check with the New Braunfels PD. The day was long and traumatic for all involved as many friends came to sit and support Sharon as she waited through two life threatening surgeries as Coach battled for his life.
The second day brought more surgery and life stabilization. Skip was X-rayed and cat scanned from head to toe. His orthopedic examinations revealed multiple broken bones including broken toes, ribs, shoulder, ankle, pelvis, scapula, cheek and nose. On Day 4 once he was stable enough to undergo orthopedic surgeries they began putting his bones back together to start the long healing journey.
Now on Day 7 Skip continues to amaze hospital staff in his fight. It was first thought he had a 0% chance of living. Of course his family and friends have no doubt of this amazing man’s zeal for life. All that know Skip knows he will love to tell the story of the time when Life Flight brought him to the hospital and they called him a “50 year old male”. There is no doubt his survival factors are his faith in God, the love for his wife and family, his swim kiddo’s and the belief in himself as a man. He now rests only with a trachea tube to help him breathe. The cumbersome tubes down his throat have been removed and most broken bones have been surgically repaired. His internal injuries are still being monitored to ensure proper healing.
Skip’s recovery story has just begun, as this will be his greatest battle. Doctors believe that after approximately 3 weeks in ICU he will then spend weeks in a regular hospital room, followed by a stay at a Rehabilitation Center. Throughout this whole ordeal his beautiful wife Sharon and sister Judes, who flew in from Wisconsin, have patiently waited on Doctor’s walking through the quietly closed ICU hallway doors with reports of his amazing will to live. They see him only minutes at a time, waiting to see if he responds to their voice. On good days he will give you an affirmative nod or a thumbs up for Green Bay packer talk. Intimate family members and friends know this is not the only life threatening battle for the Gilkerson’s as Sharon too has health issues battling breast cancer for the second time. As one could imagine this will be an expensive healing journey for both of our beloved friends. His family is proud and will support him every step of the way. After prayer and positive thoughts, the next best help would be donations to help pay for this expensive journey that you know Coach Skip will overcome. If you would like to be updated on Coach’s condition please sign up with http://www.caringbridge.org/ and search Skip Gilkerson. Sharon and Judes try to update the journal daily. Please use this GoFundMe account to express your support for the Gilkerson Family as we help Skip get back to his family and coaching his swim kids.
The second day brought more surgery and life stabilization. Skip was X-rayed and cat scanned from head to toe. His orthopedic examinations revealed multiple broken bones including broken toes, ribs, shoulder, ankle, pelvis, scapula, cheek and nose. On Day 4 once he was stable enough to undergo orthopedic surgeries they began putting his bones back together to start the long healing journey.
Now on Day 7 Skip continues to amaze hospital staff in his fight. It was first thought he had a 0% chance of living. Of course his family and friends have no doubt of this amazing man’s zeal for life. All that know Skip knows he will love to tell the story of the time when Life Flight brought him to the hospital and they called him a “50 year old male”. There is no doubt his survival factors are his faith in God, the love for his wife and family, his swim kiddo’s and the belief in himself as a man. He now rests only with a trachea tube to help him breathe. The cumbersome tubes down his throat have been removed and most broken bones have been surgically repaired. His internal injuries are still being monitored to ensure proper healing.
Skip’s recovery story has just begun, as this will be his greatest battle. Doctors believe that after approximately 3 weeks in ICU he will then spend weeks in a regular hospital room, followed by a stay at a Rehabilitation Center. Throughout this whole ordeal his beautiful wife Sharon and sister Judes, who flew in from Wisconsin, have patiently waited on Doctor’s walking through the quietly closed ICU hallway doors with reports of his amazing will to live. They see him only minutes at a time, waiting to see if he responds to their voice. On good days he will give you an affirmative nod or a thumbs up for Green Bay packer talk. Intimate family members and friends know this is not the only life threatening battle for the Gilkerson’s as Sharon too has health issues battling breast cancer for the second time. As one could imagine this will be an expensive healing journey for both of our beloved friends. His family is proud and will support him every step of the way. After prayer and positive thoughts, the next best help would be donations to help pay for this expensive journey that you know Coach Skip will overcome. If you would like to be updated on Coach’s condition please sign up with http://www.caringbridge.org/ and search Skip Gilkerson. Sharon and Judes try to update the journal daily. Please use this GoFundMe account to express your support for the Gilkerson Family as we help Skip get back to his family and coaching his swim kids.
Organizer and beneficiary
Nan Arredondo
Organizer
San Marcos, TX
Sharon Gilkerson
Beneficiary