Help Tanner Overcome His Battle

On the rainy, early morning of Tuesday, March 26, 2024, Tanner Samuel Brown, 25, was involved in a motor vehicle accident. What led up to the accident is unclear, but we do know that he was traveling alone, on his way home from work.

This is his story. This is what has brought us to you.

The morning of his wreck, upon arrival, EMTs and firefighters worked for nearly an hour to free Tanner from his car. Once free, ole Tan-Man was rushed to an area hospital, completely unresponsive, where the weight of that terrible morning would finally become known.

Due to the severe trauma Tanner endured during the wreck, he was given an extremely grim prognosis, but doctors decided to operate anyways. He underwent emergency surgery, where a portion of his skull was removed, and his scalp was sutured back together. All in an attempt to alleviate the deadly pressure that was growing on his precious brain.

Doctors were not sure if he would survive the surgery, but he did.

Upon survival and admittance into the ICU, Tanner was diagnosed with a Grade 3 DAI – his right temporal lobe and other portions of his brain severely negatively affected. Another very grim prognosis.

Among many other life-saving attempts, a tracheotomy was performed, and a feeding tube was placed. His fever spiked, he contracted pneumonia, blood clots formed. All while Tanner remained in a Severe Coma.

But, as the days and nights passed, Hailey, Tanner’s fiancée, and Tammy, Tanner’s Mother, stayed with him. And slowly, but surely, Tanner was weaned from pain medication, and he began to respond with light squeezes to their voices.

He’s the main bread winner in their little family. They just celebrated their 5th anniversary. Their first year as brand-new homeowners just passed by. He proposed Thanksgiving of 2023, and of course, Hailey said, “Yes!” Their beautiful wedding was planned for 2025. They were growing and loving and building and slow dancing in their cozy little world together, and then they weren’t.

But ole Tan-Man has continually pushed. Nearly two weeks after his wreck, still in a Severe Coma, Tanner was removed from the ICU at the area hospital. From there, he was transported to a local Long Term Acute Care Facility. Since being there, Tanner has progressed, but his time in this facility is coming to an end.

His sweet fiancée, Hailey, and his Mother, Tammy, along with everyone else that loves Tanner, has pushed for him to be transferred to the Shepherd’s Center - a facility that specializes in rehabilitating patients that have endured spinal injuries and Traumatic Brain Injuries. But, in order to be accepted into their program, Tanner must score at least a 4 on the Rancho Los Amigos Scale, also known as the Ranchos Scale - a scale that medical professionals use to weigh “. . . the cognitive and behavioral patterns found in brain injury patients as they recover from injury.” (NationalInstitutesofHealth.gov)

Currently, ole Tan-Man is considered to be “an emerging 3.” Just one number shy of this facility’s admittance requirements.

With this information, Tanner will be transitioned to his home that he shares with his fiancée, Hailey, on May 6, 2024.

Is he still in a coma?

Yes. Tanner is still in a coma.

Will Tanner be sent home while still in a coma?

Yes. Tanner will be sent home while still in a coma.

And that is what brings us to you.

Hailey, his beautiful fiancée, has continued working even after his wreck. She has worked remotely in his hospital room and in the ICU waiting room. And when he was transferred to his current facility, she began working in office again, but she visits him during her lunch break and after her shift ends every single day. Sweet girl stays with him, daily, until she is forced out by visiting hours.

Once he comes home, their financial situation will take another blow.

Even though Tanner’s mother, Tammy, and Hailey will provide around-the-clock care for him once he’s home, his insurance is extremely limited in what services they are able to pay for. When it’s time for doctors’ visits, his fiancée will have to pay out of pocket to have a transportation team transport him to and from his appointments, all while he is still in a coma.

If you knew him, if you knew them, you’d know that their souls are completely enmeshed. You could always find him on a dirt bike or standing by a grill. He worked from sunup to sundown, always striving to build their dreams from the ground up. And all in between, he and Hailey were living out their sweet, sweet lives together.

If you knew him, you knew that you were probably going to hear, “Have you met my wife?” every chance he had to talk about sweet Hailey. And if you knew them, you’d know that they would both move mountains for everyone that they loved, anyone whose path they crossed. But those two, well, they would move entire universes for each other.

It's our turn to move entire universes for them.

With this, we’re coming to you, firstly, for prayers, for love, for healing, for strength, for endurance. Please send it all straight to our sweet Tanner, his beautiful Hailey, his Mama, and everyone else who loves him.

With this, Tanner and Hailey’s story has landed before your eyes because you may be able to help alleviate some of the weight of what has grown to be mountains upon mountains of medical expenses; medical expenses that will hopefully get ole Tan-Man back to who he once was.

Even if 5 people can only spare a prayer.

Even if 100 people can only spare $1.

Even if 1,000 people can only spare $1.

Even if you can only spare a SHARE.

The smallest donation, the biggest prayer – if you knew him, if you knew them, you’d know that they’re worth it. His story isn’t over. Their story isn’t over.

This is just a rough, tear-stained chapter. Let’s carry them through it.

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through waters, I will be with you. When you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” – Isaiah 43: 1-3