Donate to help David “Tavita” Crisp

On March 2nd, 2024, David “Tavita” Crisp was playing in a collegiate Rugby Football Sevens Match tournament when he suffered a near fatal leg injury that suddenly and drastically changed his life.

Tavita is a full-time Master’s student and athlete at Southern Nazarene University (SNU) in Bethany, Oklahoma. He moved to OK in August 2020 to further his education and pursue a football scholarship. After playing as a linebacker for 2 years and receiving a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration, he was offered another scholarship to pursue a Master’s degree in Business Management and play rugby football.

After dedicating the last 4 years to his education and sports, Tavita was excited to finish his degree and graduate in December of this year.

Little did he know that his rugby career would be cut short by a “career ending”injury that would land him in the ICU and put his life on pause indefinitely.

What was initially thought to be just a broken leg/ dislocated knee turned out to be far worse. At the hospital, it was discovered that he dislocated his knee and severed the main artery that carries blood down to his foot. His tibia shot through his dislocated knee and busted the main artery like a gunshot wound or stabbing. This caused a major disruption in the blood flow of his left leg and led to internal bleeding. Because the severity of his condition wasn’t initially understood, Tavita went nearly 3 hours without repair to the main artery (which becomes fatal after 4-5 hours without repair). He was faced with the very real possibility of having his leg amputated due to immense blood loss. This resulted in 90% of the tissue dying inside his leg and severe nerve damage from his knee down to his foot.

Tavita has spent 32 days at Integris Baptist Medical Center and has endured 5 extensive surgeries within the last 3 weeks, including a bilateral leg fasciotomy to relieve pressure from blood build up in his leg, stabilization of his knee with an external fixator, and a skin graft to cover the skin removed from the fasciotomy. He also needs 2 more reconstructive surgeries within the next month.

Over the next 2 years, Tavita will be faced with relearning how to walk and navigating daily life, with the hope of getting back to doing activities that he loves and living an independent life.

This accident has not only taken a physical and mental toll on Tavita, but it has created an unexpected financial hardship for his immediate family. His mother, Teuila, flew out to OK with a day’s notice to be by Tavita’s side. Her sudden leave of absence has left her unable to work and without pay for the last month, and foreseeable future, as she is the main care taker of Tavita during this time. His younger sister, baby Teuila, was left to take care of their family home and cover bills while her mom is away.

Tavita’s medical condition and recovery will be ongoing, as with the financial expenses. His family may need to look into alternate living accommodations, as they currently live on the second story of an apartment complex, which will be inaccessible in a wheelchair or walker. Understandably, work and completion of his degree will be delayed as he recovers and focuses on rehabilitation. His left leg still requires 2 more surgeries, with the possibility of additional surgeries if any complications, and he will need extensive after-care including rehabilitation, medication and various therapies.

Aside from health care coverage from his father and the school, he was told that there are still an estimated $1 million dollars that may be incurred due to his injury.

For those that know Tavita, they know he is determined and always works hard to provide for himself and his family. He is eager to work and bring in an income, but he will need to take the necessary time to focus on recovery and finish his degree. He has shared that the day of his injury is a day he will never forget for the rest of his life. His injury has challenged his faith and physical pain tolerance. He would never want anyone to experience or go through what he has endured this last month.

The unexpected impact of Tavita’s injury compels us, as his siblings, to ask for monetary help on his behalf. We humbly ask for any donations to help alleviate this financial burden and allow Tavita to focus on his recovery and our mom to help him in the process. It is by God’s grace that Tavita has been able to keep his leg and his life.

Please consider sharing this campaign with your networks and loved ones. Your kindness, generosity, and support are greatly appreciated.

With gratitude,

Tavita’s siblings (Roman, Alyssa, Samson, and baby Teuila) - on behalf of David “Tavita”