Lemons Family

Update 5/9/2024: James is still unable to return to work. CT scan showed 3 additional fragments in the muscle that bends your knee along with the bullet in the large muscle that runs on top of your thigh and down to your inner thigh. Surgery is scheduled for 5/21 so we’re hoping all goes well and he will be on a road to recovery physically. Emotionally our children still continue to struggle daily. James was recently down with a stomach bug and the kids were crying asking if it was because he was shot.

Update 3/19/2024: We’ve found out that our medical insurance has been cancelled due to James being out of work and not being able to pay the premiums. Which also means I can’t get my medicine or insulin. And we’re not sure what that means for his surgery to remove the bullet that is scheduled for 3/22/2024.

I’m not even sure where to start here. I am not good at asking others for help. Even as I sit here typing this part of me just wants to erase it and just try to figure things out on our own.

We’ve been a single income family since February 14, 2024 when my husband was shot at the KC Chiefs Super Bowl rally. We had just turned to walk away from the rally and head to our car when the shots began. James had our 5 year old daughter on his shoulders and I was just a step ahead holding our 10 year old sons hand when James was struck in the back of his right knee with a stray bullet. As I turned back to look for them James and Kensley (crying) were picking themselves up from the ground. James looks up at me as he’s grabbing his glasses that flew off when his face hit the ground and says “I’m hit! But we gotta go. Get the kids out of here!”. He walked almost a mile to our car with a gunshot wound to his right thigh. Once we made it to the parking garage to the car he let me look at it. I seen the hole in his pant leg and the hole and blood on his leg. I began to panic, i flagged down the 1st officers that were trying to direct traffic and screamed my husband was shot can you clear a path so I can get him to the hospital. They made me pull over and got an ambulance there right away. We’re are very thankful it wasn’t much worse! Although he had been home and healing well he still does not have full mobility of that knee. We’ve been to numerous Dr/Surgeon, physical therapy appointments and the ER because the wound opened back up and started bleeding again, they thought it was infected then they thought he had a blood clot. And now have decided that the bullet needs to be removed so he will have surgery in a couple weeks. Physically everyone else is fine, but mentally…man! It’s been rough! All the kids had a really hard time sleeping and even going to school the first week or so. Kensley was drawing pictures of her and daddy falling, waking up in the middle of the night every night screaming for mommy & daddy. Asking if every stranger she seen was the meanie that shot her daddy. Jaxson had dreams of tripping one of the shooters, had breakdowns at school worrying about his dad etc. they’re all doing better now but it’s still a vivid memory that I’m sure won’t ever be forgotten. They still bring it up almost everyday but it’s a work in progress.

It was a lot the first week, a lot of people reaching out, talking with detectives etc. Once things finally felt like they were getting back to somewhat normal our landlord informed us that he was selling the house we rent and we had 30 days to move out. (Yes, it’s in our lease that they can do that.) So now while struggling as a one income family of 5 were having to come up with the money to move.

I guess that’s why I’m here, writing this. I’m not good at setting aside my pride and asking for help. But I know there’s a lot of people out there asking how they can help us and up to this point I’ve said just keep us in your prayers and please continue to do so. A friend reached out and asked me to create this so she could share and try to get us some assistance, she’s not the first who suggested it. We’ve even had attorney’s tell us to do the same. So I guess I will set aside my pride and do as asked. Please only donate if you find yourself in a position that you are able. If you are unable to donate please just continue to keep us in your prayers as we move and James has surgery. 

I feel like I’m just rambling now so I’ll end here. Please know we appreciate anything and everything everyone has, will, or wants to do but can’t.

These donations will help our family pay our monthly bills, moving costs, and physical therapy and surgery co-pays. 

KC Strong & The United Way have over a million dollars people have donated to help the victims and families affected that day. It’s been almost a month and the answers we keep getting is “the program isn’t up & running yet” or “they’re trying to figure out how to devy up the monies” or “they have your contact info and they’ll be in touch when it’s figured out”.