Brett Erickson's Family Benevolence Fund

This fundraiser is being launched to help bring immediate and much-needed financial relief to Brett’s wife, Teri, and their family.

October 26th, 2022 began as any other day for Brett and his family. However, not Brett, nor anyone else could have imagined the unsuspecting, fiery and life-altering trial he and his family were embarking upon. While on a work trip in Jacksonville, FL, Brett was rushed to the hospital and admitted with a very sudden and severe onset of acute pancreatitis. There was no warning, no prior illness, and a cause was never determined.

Brett’s wife, Teri, immediately booked a flight from Chicago to Jacksonville to be by Brett’s side. Within three days, Brett’s health began to rapidly deteriorate. He became septic from the infection and was transferred to the ICU on Oct 29th with septic shock, double pneumonia, and multi-organ failure. He was put on a ventilator, 24-hr dialysis, and put into a medically-induced coma. Brett’s prognosis was so grim that Teri was advised to bring their children and Brett’s family to Jacksonville immediately. Since the majority of the Erickson family lives either in Illinois or other states, it was only the hand of God that expedited the safe arrival of Brett & Teri’s eight children and Brett’s parents and siblings to Jacksonville within hours. This was only the beginning of the tremendously unpredictable valleys and peaks that Brett and his family would begin to endure. After stopping sedation completely after five days, Brett remained in a coma for another week and woke up right in the middle of a hurricane that made landfall in Jacksonville. Against all odds, Brett continued to fight and live! In just under three weeks in the ICU, the hospital Brett was at determined they had done all they could medically do for Brett and he was transferred to the Mayo Clinic Hospital under the care of Mayo’s world-renowned liver transplant team in Jacksonville. With incredibly scary risks involved, an amazing medical team safely transported Brett to Mayo, on November 13th.

While Brett was never considered to be out of the woods…he did begin to experience unbelievable, amazing, mountain-moving moments of healing that continuously amazed & perplexed the physicians, and kept them scratching their heads in disbelief. Doctors and nurses at both hospitals said Brett’s was one of the worst cases of pancreatitis they had ever seen and the fact that he continued to overcome and survive was a miracle every day. Brett received miracle after miracle of healing, against all odds or expectations! Teri steadfastly exhibited the most fervent, beautiful, unwavering, tenacious and courageous faith, as she continuously advocated for Brett. While Teri and so many of us believed in God’s power and desire to fully heal Brett on this side of Heaven, she equally understood and accepted that God is Sovereign and he would have the final say. Teri so graciously, transparently and authentically invited us into Brett’s and their family's story via Caring Bridge. Day after day, Teri kept us updated through each twisting, suspenseful and changing moment of their story as she remained by Brett’s side, sleeping each night on the sofa in his ICU room. Thousands upon thousands cheered Brett, Teri & their family on and prayed for them through each gripping chapter of their heart-wrenching story. There were incredible moments of healing that included Brett coming off the ventilator and getting a tracheotomy so he could begin to verbally communicate, physical therapy milestones that began restoring his severely weakened body, the welcoming visits of family and a few dear friends, and he was even able to go outside and breathe in the fresh air and bask in the warmth of the Florida sunshine.

On Thanksgiving Day, Brett was able to FaceTime family and friends and even composed a touching video message to Caring Bridge thanking everyone for their

prayers, love, support and encouragement. It was also during that blessed and sacred season of hope that Teri and Brett were given the gift of sharing some of their most intimate, deepest, heartfelt, healing and restorative conversations. It seemed as if all our prayers were being answered as we’d hoped and believed. Plans were beginning to formulate for Brett’s care to be scaled down and arrangements started for his eventual discharge from the hospital and into rehabilitative care.

Then came the next wave of unexpected and devastating setbacks. On December 4th, Brett’s condition rapidly deteriorated again & it was discovered that he was bleeding internally. He needed emergency interventions which included multiple surgical procedures to stop the bleeding. He began experiencing pulmonary failure and was placed back on the ventilator and slipped into another coma. Within 48 hours, he began experiencing multiple organ failure and an abdominal drain was placed. Another grim prognosis resulted in the family, again, being brought back to Jacksonville, from all over the United States. Then, God gave another miracle! Brett appeared to be quickly recovering from this round of incredibly life-threatening setbacks, and it looked as though he was coming out of the woods enough for most of the family to head home.

On Sunday, December 11th, Teri walked into Brett’s room after a much-needed night of sleep at a nearby hotel, and was shocked to see him wide awake, sitting in a chair, off the ventilator and communicating - he was even being his silly joking self! We were all incredibly ecstatic and believed that he was most assuredly, well on his way to healing. His white blood count had even returned to normal for the first time since his pancreatitis attack began on 10/26!

Then, at almost the 8-week mark of this extraordinary journey, there was another shocking and devastating blow to Brett’s body. This time, there was no coming back from it. After emergency scans, it was confirmed that the necrosis had attacked and destroyed Brett’s digestive organs and system to a fatal degree and there was absolutely nothing the doctors could do. Teri and the doctor broke the heartbreaking news to Brett and he made the decision to be removed from life support. He was still lucid enough to understand what he was being told and wanted to wait until his sister Kim and brother-in-law Eric arrived, to be with Teri and him. After they arrived, Brett let Teri know that he was done fighting and wanted to go home. It was bittersweet, agonizing and beautiful healing after exhaustively fighting for his life, for almost 2 months.

On Friday, December 16th, at 11:30 am, Brett breathed his final breath on his beautiful Teri’s face…he was absent from his broken body and present with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. “Precious in the sight of The Lord is the death of His saints.” Psalm 116:15

Now, in the agonizing aftermath of Brett’s passing, are countless broken hearts, broken dreams, and the glaring reality of all of the financial needs, for Teri and their family, including their youngest son, Logan (16). Brett and Teri have been successful business owners for many years, in which they employ several talented and amazing people. Now, without Brett at the helm of the business and the loss of his income; coupled with all of the time Teri has needed to take off work, while she faithfully kept vigil at Brett’s side; multiple expenses have been incurred from emergency travel, massive out-of-network medical bills, along with several other financial responsibilities that need to be fulfilled, including complicated out-of-state funeral arrangements & expenses. Teri and Brett were wise stewards of what God entrusted to them, they strived to be responsible and discerning. Even still, there are enormous needs and upfront costs that Teri needs help with now. If you have had the good pleasure of knowing Brett and Teri, then you have most likely been a recipient of their selfless, generous acts of kindness, labors of love and hospitality. Brett and Teri were faithfully involved in serving at their home church, Grace Fellowship of Mokena. Brett’s life and service have left an indelible mark on the hearts and lives of all who knew and loved him in this world. Will you please consider being a part of blessing Brett’s wife Teri and their family?

Huge heartfelt thank you to everyone who can give and we especially ask that you please continue to pray for Teri, their children, grandchildren, Brett’s parents, siblings and friends, and his beloved STI as they have all just begun the agonizing journey of grieving the loss of Brett.