Help John Morris! Spinal Cord Injury & Paraplegia!
Donation protected
John Morris (husband of Vicky Morris for 35 years, father of Anthony Morris) is a very well-respected and extremely well-liked Physical Therapist in Oklahoma for almost 40 years. He was involved in a devastating bicycle accident and became paraplegic on March 5, 2020.
Both John and Vicky (a PT assistant) have recently been laid off of full-time work due to Home Health cutbacks from Medicare. John decided to join the Chau family vacation in Maui while awaiting responses from prospective employers. During the bicycle ride down Mt Haleakala, he moved aside to avoid cars and ran over some loose gravel just 2 miles from the summit. Unfortunately, he lost control of the bike and fell about 10 ft down to some large jagged lava rocks. Air transport was called off due to bad weather. During the long 45 minutes wait for ground transport, John went into shock and lost consciousness breifly. He responded well to the emergency measures. At the trauma center, he was diagnosed with T4 spinal cord transection (cut), T3-5 vertebral fractures (broken upper back), multiple bilateral rib fractures, open left clavicle (collar bone broken through skin) fracture, along with multiple bruises and abrasion.
John is currently at the Intensive Care Unit of Maui Memorial Hospital. Thus far, his hospital course has been exceedingly challenging. He suffered from spinal shock with low blood pressure and was too unstable for emergent surgery in the first few days. After spinal stabilization with metal rod implants and bony fragments removal from the spinal canal, he developed fever, shortness of breath with hypoxia (lack of oxygen), confusion, dizziness, and vomiting.
Vicky and her sister Rita flew to Maui to take care of John while Anthony stayed behind to take care of the livestock and continued his work as a resident. What awaits John is almost too overwhelming to imagine. He will need shoulder surgery when he is more stable. Without the functioning arm, it would be difficult for rehab. The neurosurgeon reported little chance of regaining control of his legs or lower trunk. The intensivist estimated 2 weeks of acute care hospitalization before medical flight back to Oklahoma. Commercial flight is deemed highly unlikely. Rehab is estimated to be 2 to 3 months.
Due to their recent job loss, John and Vicky resorted to acquiring some high deductible barebone health plan to mitigate the impact on their retirement savings. The medi-flight alone may cost over $50,000 which will not be covered by the insurance. He will need adaptive equipment, handicap van, home modifications including ramps and widening of doors/bathroom, etc. John is in his 60's and will be difficult for him to start a second career to cover the expenses in the near future.
John is a knowledgeable, dedicated, and skillful Physical Therapist who works hard to improve the quality of life for others. Both John and Vicky are very kind and caring. Their patients love to talk to them just about everything. They heal both the body and the mind. Now, they need our help indeed! The Morris family is still in shock with great sadness and stress. It’s time for us to come together to give them a helping hand.
Our initial goal is $60,000 to cover the initially acute and rehab care. Let’s bring John back to Oklahoma. Addition goals will be home care as we follow his progress. John and Vicky are the sole beneficiaries as the donations (minus the 2.75% fees from the credit card companies) will go directly to their joint account. No amount is too small. Any donation will help to lift their spirits. In addition, they will appreciate your kind words and encouragement. Please spread the word as much as possible. Thank you!
You are not obligated to add donations to the company which operates this website. You may select 'other' for $0 or any amount. Please feel free to leave comments for well-wishes or encouragement. It's a little inconspicuous and cumbersome. You may need to click 'continue' a couple of times after the donation to get to the comment section.
This campaign is started by Peter Chau, M.D. who has been John's close friend since they were freshmen at the University of Oklahoma. They both graduated as Physical Therapists at OU.
Both John and Vicky (a PT assistant) have recently been laid off of full-time work due to Home Health cutbacks from Medicare. John decided to join the Chau family vacation in Maui while awaiting responses from prospective employers. During the bicycle ride down Mt Haleakala, he moved aside to avoid cars and ran over some loose gravel just 2 miles from the summit. Unfortunately, he lost control of the bike and fell about 10 ft down to some large jagged lava rocks. Air transport was called off due to bad weather. During the long 45 minutes wait for ground transport, John went into shock and lost consciousness breifly. He responded well to the emergency measures. At the trauma center, he was diagnosed with T4 spinal cord transection (cut), T3-5 vertebral fractures (broken upper back), multiple bilateral rib fractures, open left clavicle (collar bone broken through skin) fracture, along with multiple bruises and abrasion.
John is currently at the Intensive Care Unit of Maui Memorial Hospital. Thus far, his hospital course has been exceedingly challenging. He suffered from spinal shock with low blood pressure and was too unstable for emergent surgery in the first few days. After spinal stabilization with metal rod implants and bony fragments removal from the spinal canal, he developed fever, shortness of breath with hypoxia (lack of oxygen), confusion, dizziness, and vomiting.
Vicky and her sister Rita flew to Maui to take care of John while Anthony stayed behind to take care of the livestock and continued his work as a resident. What awaits John is almost too overwhelming to imagine. He will need shoulder surgery when he is more stable. Without the functioning arm, it would be difficult for rehab. The neurosurgeon reported little chance of regaining control of his legs or lower trunk. The intensivist estimated 2 weeks of acute care hospitalization before medical flight back to Oklahoma. Commercial flight is deemed highly unlikely. Rehab is estimated to be 2 to 3 months.
Due to their recent job loss, John and Vicky resorted to acquiring some high deductible barebone health plan to mitigate the impact on their retirement savings. The medi-flight alone may cost over $50,000 which will not be covered by the insurance. He will need adaptive equipment, handicap van, home modifications including ramps and widening of doors/bathroom, etc. John is in his 60's and will be difficult for him to start a second career to cover the expenses in the near future.
John is a knowledgeable, dedicated, and skillful Physical Therapist who works hard to improve the quality of life for others. Both John and Vicky are very kind and caring. Their patients love to talk to them just about everything. They heal both the body and the mind. Now, they need our help indeed! The Morris family is still in shock with great sadness and stress. It’s time for us to come together to give them a helping hand.
Our initial goal is $60,000 to cover the initially acute and rehab care. Let’s bring John back to Oklahoma. Addition goals will be home care as we follow his progress. John and Vicky are the sole beneficiaries as the donations (minus the 2.75% fees from the credit card companies) will go directly to their joint account. No amount is too small. Any donation will help to lift their spirits. In addition, they will appreciate your kind words and encouragement. Please spread the word as much as possible. Thank you!
You are not obligated to add donations to the company which operates this website. You may select 'other' for $0 or any amount. Please feel free to leave comments for well-wishes or encouragement. It's a little inconspicuous and cumbersome. You may need to click 'continue' a couple of times after the donation to get to the comment section.
This campaign is started by Peter Chau, M.D. who has been John's close friend since they were freshmen at the University of Oklahoma. They both graduated as Physical Therapists at OU.
Organizer
Pete Chau
Organizer
Purcell, OK