Kyle's fight to walk
Local media coverage: http://www.dailyrecord.com/story/news/local/2015/05/15/fundraiser-boonton-miracle-marine-survived-decapitation/27390991/
Kyle; a son, a brother, a best friend, a significant other, a U.S. Marine vet, a beacon of light to all those graced to be a part of his life. Kyle is a man of great drive to excel in whatever he finds himself doing. He actively served in the Marines and was in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2007-2011. During these distressing times, he always maintained good spirits and his charismatic demeanor. After honorably discharging, Kyle began working as an electrician and embraced a quiet life in the woods of northern New Jersey. Kyle’s love for adventure and living life to the fullest is why friends love to be around him. Whether it is exploring nature with his pup, Edmond, or adventuring the local rivers with friends, there is never a dull moment when hanging with Kyle.
April 2nd was one of the first warm days of 2015. Kyle started it off as any normal day, but this time was looking forward to riding his motorcycle to work to start the forthcoming spring in good taste. At about 7:10am on his way to his electrician’s office, about 4 miles from his home, an awful sequence of events unfolded in just seconds. Going 34 miles an hour, Kyle was passing a retirement home on his right while a 91 year old was making a left into the exit of the facility. The elderly man neglecting to see him and Kyle was struck without having any time to stop. The result was horrific, to say the least. Kyle suffered a broken neck with internal decapitation. In addition, he had a dissected aortic artery, two collapsed lungs, a lacerated liver, kidney, and spleen, a fractured femur, a broken tibia and fibula on his left leg and a broken ankle on his right leg.
Kyle arrived at Morristown Medical Center in critical condition, where he has been fighting for his life with all that he has left. Miraculously on his way into the ICU his dissected artery clotted itself, allowing the doctors to do an immediate neck surgery the day of. The next urgent need was then to find enough stability to perform heart surgery. As several days passed, Kyle’s internal organs’ stability became a roller coaster of activity preventing the heart surgery from taking place when the surgeons would have liked it to. Kyle was put on a lung oscillator and kidney dialysis; his survival was grim due to immense organ swelling. Consistently fighting as he always has, the leg seemed to be getting the best of him. He had to go into emergency surgery to save the leg but due to loss of blood to both legs the heart surgery was the immediate choice. After 10 hours of surgery and forbidding preparations suggested by doctors, Kyle pulled through. The left leg was unfortunately amputated after doctors did all they could to save it. Kyle’s heart had two stents put in and the doctors were aghast with the survival of the surgery, let alone with the fight he has consistently demonstrated.
As of April 26th, 24 days after the accident, he came out of the induced coma and he was responsive to our calls and could move his fingers. He was smiling and trying to mouth the words ‘I love you’ to his girlfriend.
**Further updates will be posted about every week. **
We are trying to put together all that we can to help Kyle not only put a dent in these hospital bills, but relieve the financial pressures to come. The military will not provide any help because it was a motorcycle accident and we are fighting to receive insurance from the man who hit him. Any help is greatly appreciated and does not go unnoticed.
Thank you to all who are able to help Kyle and family.
First of all-thank you. You people are amazing. I've re-written this first sentence about 10 times trying to pick the most impactful words to use to convey most effectively how thankful I am. The English language is very limited in terms of expressing gratitude. Thank you for your generosity and support.
Almost everywhere I go in our town(s) someone recognizes me. Not surprising really, im the guy with the eye patch, missing leg, and wheel chair. When I'm in public without fail someone always takes a minute, asks how I'm doing, and offers any help they can provide. I always knew I was part of a beautiful town with great people but this is really astonishing. Not only have almost 700 individuals, mostly strangers, decided to take the time donate and make recovery a bit less of a burden-many local Police and fire departments along with private charities, local businesses, and Marine Corps organizations from all over the state have provided assistance. Even Esposito electric,my former employer, donated and provided me with needed electrical repairs to my home.
Everyone who's donated or attended the events my buddy Adam organized, thank you. Friends who a spent month hanging around the hospital while I was in a coma keeping me and my family company, thanks so much. Also a big public thank you to my girlfriend Taylor, she was the first person I recall seeing after coming out of coma mode, she's done such a great job and I don't think I could ask for a better friend.
Now that thanks have been distributed I suppose from this point forward I'll take over the status updates pertaining to my health, stand by for that. If you're reading this, thanks again.
I am so proud to be Kyle's Mom! I just went through and "liked" every donation sofar- it is incredible how many have supported Kyle in just 5 days (this was officially posted just on Thursday!) I am comforted to read the well wishes, prayers, love, and encouragement from friends, family, and perfect strangers! You have no idea how much hope and strength this gives me! Kyle will be able to focus on his recovery & not worry about how he is going to survive (financially) we are truly blessed that there are SO MANY amazing loving people!
We are now at Kessler in West Orange and just beginning the long journey of rehab. Kyle has a great attitude, and is ready for the challange, and so am I! Thank you so much for all the love, support, and encouragement! As challanging as this is, it would have been far worse without all of you reaching out to us!! We will keep you updated on how he is progressing!
I wish I could donate to you campaign but my husband had a similar accident around the same time as Kyle and we are going through the same struggles. I will pray for your son and hope to see continued success in his journey to walking as does my husband. Good luck and god bless!
This man needs our help! He fought to keep us safe risking his life all the while. The very least we as recipients of his bravery can do is help Kyle with whatever we can spare financially to help ease some of the medical costs. Hang in there Kyle....God has a plan for you❤️
Have you thought about the VA hospital? I was in a motorcycle accident in July 2016 2 months after I retired and I still.had Tri-Care through the military then was sent to the VA in Richmond, Virginia.