A Helping Hand For Corey

On Saturday,  28 December 2019, Corey Waugh, my son, was involved in a horrific, devastating and life changing accident. He and a friend were on their way to the store to buy a pack of cigarettes after recently purchasing some fireworks for a New Year's Eve celebration. Corey's friend was driving the vehicle and was smoking a cigarette. Corey was in the passenger seat and the fireworks were in the backseat. When Corey's friend finished his cigarette, he flicked it out of the driver's door window, but it flew back into the vehicle and landed in the backseat with the fireworks. The cigarette ignited one of the fireworks, specifically a mortar shell, which is the most powerful and explosive variety of all fireworks available to purchase. When Corey realized that the cigarette ignited the mortar shell, he immediately went into action, reached into the backseat, grabbed the mortar shell and tried to throw it out of his, the passenger door, window. Unfortunately, time was working against Corey and the mortar shell exploded before he could throw it out of the vehicle. Corey lost at least 80% of his left hand (maybe more...we don't know the full extent of the damage yet), both of his eardrums were perforated causing hearing damage, possible damage to his eyes (again...we don't know yet) and he sustained 3rd degree burns on his face.

Corey has been in the hospital since Saturday night under heavy sedation and has already undergone 2 surgeries. He will survive the accident. The doctors are, currently, trying salvage the few remaining pieces of Corey's hand that were not completely destroyed or blown off, however, due to the extreme force of the explosion and severity of the damage it caused, they have not given Corey's mother and I much hope. The prognosis looks very dismal Corey has been unconscious since he was admitted Saturday night and neither his mother nor I have been able to talk to him yet. The doctors are telling us that he will need to have several more surgeries and will be in the hospital for at least the next week, probably longer.

For those of you who know Corey, you know how active and outgoing he is. You know how much he loves the outdoors, being in nature and working  with his hands. You know how full of life he is and how much he truly loves living, going, doing, experiencing everything life has to offer. You know he is a good person with a good, kind and caring heart. Corey is in a time of need. His world has been completely turned upside down. Corey needs us now more than ever. He needs us to help him recover from this tragedy. He is going to need his friends, his family and and anyone else who can empathize with his situation to assist him with his physical needs, his emotional needs, his psychological needs and his financial needs. Corey would do the same if he was ever called on to help someone in need.

Please...Please...let's all rally around and for Corey. Let's do for him what he would do for us and help him in any way possible. This is going to be a major setback for Corey regarding his physical abilities and his emotional state. It is also going to create a massive financial burden for him. Any time you can afford to spend with him, assisting him, talking with him, providing words of encouragement and/or any monetary donations will be greatly and forever appreciated. Corey, my wife (Dawn) and I (Brian) all thank you in advance for you understanding and assistance.