Coach Wimpy Winther's Medical Expen

As many of you already know, Coach Wimpy Winther has played or coached football most of his life.  Many of you many even know him from the 19 years he coached at Rudd Middle School before retiring.  However, in the last three years, Wimpy has suffered some serious medical problems.  It all started from something most people would not consider a serious illness at all, strep!

That's right, Wimpy got strep throat.  When left untreated, strep throat can cause complications, such as kidney inflammation or rheumatic fever.  After an ambulance ride to the hospital, Wimpy was admitted and was discovered to be in kidney failure.  Thankfully, doctors were able to reverse this complication, however; kidney failure was only the beginning of the problems.  At this point, he had sepsis. The infection had set up in several others places in his body and were causing all sorts of issues.

(Wimpy 2 weeks before he got strep.)

I am not sure how many different surgeries he underwent to clear the infection out his joints, but I know there were more than a handful.  One of these surgeries resulted in a two-part knee replacement; where a medicated device was implanted first only to be replaced shortly after by the permanent joint.

After being released from the hospital, Wimpy went to a nursing home/ rehab facility for 2 months for rehab.

(Matt, Wimpy's son, making sure Wimpy can see the TV.)
Once Wimpy returned home, a hospital bed was set up in what used to be Sandra's dining room because the larger "Wimpy sized" wheelchairs do not navigate the hallways and doorways easily.  For the last three years; weakness, fatigue and neuropathy have left Wimpy bedridden.  And for months, a home health care nurse was required daily to assist him.

(Wimpy's bedroom/the dining room)

This brings us to the latest complication: an infection in his big toe. On Monday, January 16th, Wimpy had the big toe and middle toe of his right foot amputated.  As terrible as it sounds to have two toes amputated, this was good news because the original plan that day was to amputate his right leg.  Currently, Wimpy is in the hospital recovering from surgery, all the while the doctors are keeping an eye on his leg hoping they won't have to amputate.

(Wimpy two days after toe amputations)


I have set up this page to help Sandra with the healthcare costs that have been mounting over the last three years, to subsidize her lost income and to assist in the cost of finding and moving into home that is handicap accessible, which will allow Wimpy some privacy and freedom. Please keep Wimpy, Sandra and their family in your thoughts and prayers through this difficult time.