Help Needed for Kevin Ridgeway
Donation protected
On Thursday, Jan 12th Kevin Ridgeway (of Living Illusions) & Kristen Johnson (Lady Houdini & the other half of Living Illusions) were involved in a serious two-car accident at an intersection in West Palm Beach. Their car was T-boned at high-speed by a Land Rover which left a 20-inch inclusion into the driver's seat where Kevin was sitting. Kevin & Kristen were extricated with the jaws of life, Kristen was taken by ambulance to the closest hospital, and Kevin was airlifted to a different hospital that had a trauma center.
Kristen suffered multiple broken ribs, punctured lung, severe concussion, and is having ongoing issues with headaches, double vision, etc. (As a side note, if she hasn’t been responding as you might have expected, this will hopefully help explain why) Kevin sustained serious injuries which include:
•Lacerated kidney
•Pneumothorax (punctured lung)
•Pelvis was broken in 5 places
•Broken acetabulum
•Fractured scapula
•Numerous rib fractures
Because they were not able to stop the bleeding, on Friday, Jan 13th they had to remove his left kidney. Due to the collapsed lung and puncture(s), he continued to have pulmonary issues and was intubated on Sunday the 15th. He was in pulmonary distress due to the severe pain in breathing (from all the broken ribs), so they ‘put him under’ to relax his body so it would allow the respirator to control the breathing (therefore returning oxygen to normal levels).
On Monday, Jan 16th they performed another major surgery where they "plated" his ribs and repaired the hole in his lung.
Kevin's other kidney has been having difficulty keeping up. On Friday, Jan 20th the doctors started him on dialysis. The long-term viability of his remaining kidney has not yet been determined.
Due to the extent of his injuries the decision was made to place him on a paralytic which is allowing him to fully rest. Kevin has remained in this state since.
Kevin and Kristen are loved by so many, and their need is so great right now, I'm asking for your help. Besides the medical bills that are being accumulated, they have no income as they are obviously unable to perform. Kristen has had to start canceling fairs and refunding deposits, and with the length of recovery that is going to be needed, their situation will not be improving for quite some time.
I have set the goal at $35k, which won't touch the medical bills clearly, but this should give them some breathing room with living expenses. I hope we can relieve some of the financial strain so they can both just concentrate on healing.
Edit 1/31/17 - GoFundMe has requested I add a little about myself to this campaign for 'transparency'. My name is Brian Mayo and I live in the Indianapolis, IN area. I have been close friends of Kevin & Kristen for 16 years now. This GoFundMe account has been created with Kristen as the beneficiary; she alone has direct access to the money and can withdraw as needed. As stated above, the purpose of this campaign is to help them with day-to-day living expenses over the coming months, as Kevin has a very long road ahead and they will not be able to perform for awhile. Thanks in advance!
-Brian
Kristen suffered multiple broken ribs, punctured lung, severe concussion, and is having ongoing issues with headaches, double vision, etc. (As a side note, if she hasn’t been responding as you might have expected, this will hopefully help explain why) Kevin sustained serious injuries which include:
•Lacerated kidney
•Pneumothorax (punctured lung)
•Pelvis was broken in 5 places
•Broken acetabulum
•Fractured scapula
•Numerous rib fractures
Because they were not able to stop the bleeding, on Friday, Jan 13th they had to remove his left kidney. Due to the collapsed lung and puncture(s), he continued to have pulmonary issues and was intubated on Sunday the 15th. He was in pulmonary distress due to the severe pain in breathing (from all the broken ribs), so they ‘put him under’ to relax his body so it would allow the respirator to control the breathing (therefore returning oxygen to normal levels).
On Monday, Jan 16th they performed another major surgery where they "plated" his ribs and repaired the hole in his lung.
Kevin's other kidney has been having difficulty keeping up. On Friday, Jan 20th the doctors started him on dialysis. The long-term viability of his remaining kidney has not yet been determined.
Due to the extent of his injuries the decision was made to place him on a paralytic which is allowing him to fully rest. Kevin has remained in this state since.
Kevin and Kristen are loved by so many, and their need is so great right now, I'm asking for your help. Besides the medical bills that are being accumulated, they have no income as they are obviously unable to perform. Kristen has had to start canceling fairs and refunding deposits, and with the length of recovery that is going to be needed, their situation will not be improving for quite some time.
I have set the goal at $35k, which won't touch the medical bills clearly, but this should give them some breathing room with living expenses. I hope we can relieve some of the financial strain so they can both just concentrate on healing.
Edit 1/31/17 - GoFundMe has requested I add a little about myself to this campaign for 'transparency'. My name is Brian Mayo and I live in the Indianapolis, IN area. I have been close friends of Kevin & Kristen for 16 years now. This GoFundMe account has been created with Kristen as the beneficiary; she alone has direct access to the money and can withdraw as needed. As stated above, the purpose of this campaign is to help them with day-to-day living expenses over the coming months, as Kevin has a very long road ahead and they will not be able to perform for awhile. Thanks in advance!
-Brian
Organizer and beneficiary
Brian Mayo
Organizer
Indianapolis, IN
Kristen Johnson
Beneficiary
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