Matt Henderson Burn Recovery Fund
Donation protected
On Monday August 21, My brother in law Matthew J Henderson was severely burned on a wildfire incident near Arimo Idaho. Matt is a volunteer firefighter for Bannock County Idaho and has responded to many structure and wildfires over the years. On monday morning, Matthew responded to a wildfire that was threatening multiple households with his crew on a heavy tanker engine. Something went terribly wrong when their 5 ton fire engine stalled on a hill in the middle of an active fire. A fuel tank fell off of the engine and was ran over as the rig rolled back. The county engine was immediately engulfed in flames. Matt was on the back of the engine operating hoses with another crew member when it happened. Matt was able to jump and help his crewmate get off of the burning rig and get them to safety. Both were badly burned in the process. The driver was able to jump free of the cab, but broke his foot from the fall. Matt and his crewmate Kent were sent to Pocatello and then immediately transported to the University of Utah Burn Center for treatment and long term recovery. About 1/3 of Matt's body are covered in burns, 2nd and 3rd degree. He is expected to be in surgery and medical care for the next 4-6 weeks and possibley double that time in therapy and recovery. They will perform extensive skin graft surgeries on his arms as soon as his 2nd degree burns stabilize. They have also found a fracture in his back and neck of which we do not know how serious they are until further scans. We prayfully hope that it is only the burns that he will have to battle and not spinal damage. He is mostly unconscious at this point and in alot of pain. They have him hooked up to dozens of wires, tubes, IVs, and sensors. He will be at a high risk of infection for quite some time. It will be a long hard road to recovery for him and his wife Jessica. They do not have kids but they were involved in trying to build a house. They will both be out of work for quite some time and hopefully Matt will be able to go back to normal life sooner than expected, but it may be several months according to the doctor. We are deeply grateful that he is still alive. He was injured in the line of duty and we pray that if any of you are able, to please help Matt Henderson and his wife Jessica with their long road to recovery. The funds will go to directley to the beneficiaries Jessica and Matt. Jessica is the primary beneficiary for both of them and she will deposit the funds into their bank account to help them with medical bills/ treatment/ therapy and keep them on their feet from all of the work lost over the next 2 to 3 months. My name is Jeffrey Gosar from Logan UT and I am Jessica Henderson's brother and Matt Henderson's brother in law. We are very grateful for the love and support of the Firefighting community, Family, and Friends. We will also be trying to set up a fund for Matt's crewmember, Kent Winward. I will be the point of contact for any questions or comments. I am Matt's brother in law Jeff Gosar. Thank You and God bless.
Organizer and beneficiary
Jeffrey Gosar
Organizer
Swanlake, ID
Jessica Henderson
Beneficiary