Help Dave Litwiller Heal and Rebuild

One day around noon, I got the gut-wrenching call from Mom, "Dad fell at work."

My dad (Dave Litwiller, age 53) runs a small construction business. On Wednesday, September 11, he was adding a beautiful deck to a local home. While installing sheathing on the deck roof, he lost his footing when the sheet he was flipping onto the roof slid against him. He fell from a scaffold, landing on the concrete nearly 20 feet below. Miraculously, his head -- though landing on the first step of a concrete stairway in the stairwell below -- didn't sustain any damage. But the right side of his body took the trauma of the fall. His right leg was broken badly above the ankle, and his right arm above the wrist, all the wrist bones being dislocated to the side. His hip, pelvis, and three vertebrae were also broken. He was already in the emergency room when I got that call around lunchtime. He was then transferred to Wichita, where a team of surgeons was waiting for him.

His recovery journey has been grueling, though his optimistic nature has been a great help! He was able to ditch the walker the week before my youngest sister's wedding, and the sight of him walking on his own two feet again among the crowd of friends at the wedding was very, very encouraging. He has a metal rod in the bone of the right leg, and it seems to be well on the way to healing.

His hand, though, has been a continued source of concern. He had a titanium plate installed, and this last Thursday, December 19, during a checkup, his doctor decided the plate needed to be removed due to continued infection.

Yesterday, he underwent surgery again to remove the hardware. The bone healing has been slowed by this infection, but the doctor expressed hope that it would be greatly improved by removing the hardware.

The most important thing we can ask for is your prayers for the bone to fully heal and return to health so he can regain the use of his right hand.

Dad has been able to keep his construction company running, although his efficiency in keeping projects moving has evidently been hampered. He's got a team of great guys to work with. But it's looking difficult to face the expenses associated with the three surgeries he's undergone.

He has CHA coverage and they have already paid out over $100,000 but his out-of-pocket expenses look like they could be around $30,000 and the bills are continuing to arrive.

I would greatly appreciate even a prayer on his behalf. Thank you!

Caleb