Recovery from Rescuing the Rescuer

Hi, my name is Brian. Many of you know that Hurricane Ian devastated the West Coast of Florida Two Weeks ago. Ft. Myers is where my wife Natalie grew up, and my mother-in-law and all of her friends, who are like family, still live. Those of you who know me know that I love to do good, especially when it comes to friends and family. I decided I couldn't be three hours away and not help. I packed up my car, and headed to the west coast of Florida, to help my Mother-n-law, her friends, and a friend of mine who had a ranch in Arcadia, FL. Well, there is a saying, "no good deed goes unpunished. On Wednesday, after spending the day rescuing animals that sadly died from the flooding, we made a bonfire to rid the clean-up, and it sadly took a turn that resulted in where I am at today, in the hospital with 2nd-degree burns on 20 to 30% of my body. Due to where we were located ( the middle of nowhere), I had to be picked up by a FEMA boat. I was then airlifted to a hospital in Bradenton, FL, which resulted in me being admitted and having surgery 24 hours later to start the skin grafting. I have to learn how to walk, have limited mobility in my hands, and am in a lot of pain. Still, in proper Brian form, I am staying positive and am so lucky to have my incredible family and friends' support during this unimaginable time.

How can you help?

As you can imagine, this is a significant life change for my family and me. This will be a long and costly road to recovery as it will impact my ability to work full-time due to rehab, additional surgeries and healing on the road ahead. Any support is greatly appreciated.