Praying for a miracle for Paul

Hello, my name is Bobbi. I have had the pleasure of working with Paul for the last 6 years. He is more than just my colleague or co-worker though. Paul is family! He is an amazing man. He is a God fearing Christian man that loves life. Every day that Paul comes into work, he tells everyone Good Morning and that he is "living the dream". He is a dedicated father of six. He has been married to his wife, Christy, for 25 years. He is one of the best guys I know.

Last Sunday, Paul woke up vomiting with a terrible headache. He told his wife something was wrong and before she could get him to the ER, he collapsed in his bathroom. He was brought to Atrium Floyd by ambulance with a massive hemorrhagic brain bleed. He lost all function of his left side and ability to speak. He is a fighter though. He was able to give weak thumbs up when he was asked questions. Later that day, Paul had another bleed in 3 of 4 ventricles in his brain, pupils were fixed and dilated, and had herniation of brain stem. We all thought we had lost him. However, his wife Christy never lost hope. She requested to have his brain scans sent to Erlanger. He was life flighted and taken to surgery. They removed a large clot but the likelihood of recovery was very slim. The next update we received was that he made it through the night. Hallelujah!

Now, the waiting game begins. Christy, the kids, and other family were all staying in a hotel across from the hospital. They were taking turns to visit Paul when visitors were allowed. Praying for a miracle. Paul started running a fever and became tachycardic (rapid heartrate). They said he was neurostorming (seizures), which is common after traumatic brain injury. They were keeping him sedated and on a cooling blanket. They would periodically stop sedation to check reflexes and responsiveness. He still had no function of left side, but would squeeze their hand with right hand. He was still with us!

They started talking to Christy and family about plans for long-term care. Scary, but at least they had hope as well that he might be going home. This is when the reality of the situation really set in for Christy and the kids. Paul was the one that managed everything. He was her rock! Now, she knew she had to be his.

This GoFundMe is to help with travel expenses for Christy and family as they commute to Chattanooga from Rome and Alabama, hotel expenses, meals, and of course medical bills. Paul will require home health, rehab, therapy, medical equipment, etc. No one plans for such a catastrophic illness. I do not want them to have to worry about anything other than helping Paul to get better!