Morgan's Medical Expenses & Rehab
Donation protected
For those of you who know my little brother, Morgan, you know that he is going to kill me for setting up this site. However, in this particular instance, I'm inclined to beg forgiveness rather than ask permission. He needs your help. In a world where our sense of community isn’t necessarily defined by geographical location, I thought this GoFundMe account might be the best option for those who want to offer their assistance. Not everyone can cook a pot of chili and drive it out to Buckingham!
On Thursday, November 12, while at a job site, Morgan sustained injuries that resulted in the amputation of his index finger and thumb. His middle finger and ring finger also sustained fairly extensive nerve damage. He called for an ambulance and did what he needed to do to preserve the fingers. After ambulance transport, he was then airlifted to UVA hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia and underwent an emergency six-hour surgery that night. Doctors were able to reattach his thumb and repair damage to his mangled ring finger and middle finger. However, the index finger was not viable for reattachment surgery. He is currently recovering in UVA's ICU ward. As of Sunday, November 15, his thumb appears to be healing well. However, venous complications and infection are still a very real possibility for him in the coming day and week. Of course, until the healing process is complete, we won't know the extent of any permanent damage to his hand.
While we are all hopeful that he will regain full functionality of his thumb, we are also painfully aware of the fact that his livelihood has been dependent on his ability to work with his hands. The medical expenses and recovery/rehabilitation process are a financial burden on their own. Additionally, Morgan and his wife, Samantha, are expecting their firstborn son in December. Any donations you provide would be used to pay for medical bills, recovery, rehabilitation, and, living expenses as he supports his wife on maternity leave and embarks on a new career path. He is faced with the prospect of having to switch careers as he welcomes a newborn son, while supporting his wife and stepdaughter.
By the way, if anyone has job prospects for a VCU grad with a political science degree, killer work ethic, and years of experience from tiling bathrooms to roof repair, feel free to contact him (or me) once he’s home from the hospital (He’s going to kill me for that plug too!). We hope he will be home later this week.
If you want updates, feel free to contact me. He is still miserable, nauseous, and sleep-deprived as they adjust his pain meds from drip to nerve block to oral meds. He is also in withdrawal from caffeine and nicotine; he can't have either since they restrict blood flow.
Thank you in advance for any contributions you might make. Anything you can give would help allieviate some of the tremendous stress this young family is currently enduring. (Maybe throw in a prayer for me too, because once Morgan sees this GoFundMe site, I'm toast!)
Thanks,
Meri Riddick (big sis to Morgan)
On Thursday, November 12, while at a job site, Morgan sustained injuries that resulted in the amputation of his index finger and thumb. His middle finger and ring finger also sustained fairly extensive nerve damage. He called for an ambulance and did what he needed to do to preserve the fingers. After ambulance transport, he was then airlifted to UVA hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia and underwent an emergency six-hour surgery that night. Doctors were able to reattach his thumb and repair damage to his mangled ring finger and middle finger. However, the index finger was not viable for reattachment surgery. He is currently recovering in UVA's ICU ward. As of Sunday, November 15, his thumb appears to be healing well. However, venous complications and infection are still a very real possibility for him in the coming day and week. Of course, until the healing process is complete, we won't know the extent of any permanent damage to his hand.
While we are all hopeful that he will regain full functionality of his thumb, we are also painfully aware of the fact that his livelihood has been dependent on his ability to work with his hands. The medical expenses and recovery/rehabilitation process are a financial burden on their own. Additionally, Morgan and his wife, Samantha, are expecting their firstborn son in December. Any donations you provide would be used to pay for medical bills, recovery, rehabilitation, and, living expenses as he supports his wife on maternity leave and embarks on a new career path. He is faced with the prospect of having to switch careers as he welcomes a newborn son, while supporting his wife and stepdaughter.
By the way, if anyone has job prospects for a VCU grad with a political science degree, killer work ethic, and years of experience from tiling bathrooms to roof repair, feel free to contact him (or me) once he’s home from the hospital (He’s going to kill me for that plug too!). We hope he will be home later this week.
If you want updates, feel free to contact me. He is still miserable, nauseous, and sleep-deprived as they adjust his pain meds from drip to nerve block to oral meds. He is also in withdrawal from caffeine and nicotine; he can't have either since they restrict blood flow.
Thank you in advance for any contributions you might make. Anything you can give would help allieviate some of the tremendous stress this young family is currently enduring. (Maybe throw in a prayer for me too, because once Morgan sees this GoFundMe site, I'm toast!)
Thanks,
Meri Riddick (big sis to Morgan)
Organizer and beneficiary
Meriwether Smith Riddick
Organizer
Dillwyn, VA
Samantha Smith
Beneficiary
