In Loving Memory of Lance - Your support is still needed!

Hello,

I am reaching out to help my childhood/lifelong friend, Pam (Smith) Straw, her husband, Mike, and their family as they navigate a challenging time. Their son, Lance, who is one of my son's best friends, was seriously injured in a snowmobile accident.

They will face overwhelming medical expenses, along with the costs of staying with him, travel, etc. This family holds a special place in my heart and the hearts of others. I want to do whatever I can to support them, and many have called or texted me to see what they could do! Any contribution, big or small, would make a difference.

This is from his mom, who has permitted me to share:

"Lance was in a horrible snowmobile accident. They rushed him into surgery here in the Sault due to internal bleeding and the need for multiple blood transfusions. Dr. Rechner had to call Dr. McCullough for another set of hands to stop the bleeding. They had to leave him open and intubate him to get a central line in. They wanted to airlift him to Grand Rapids, but nothing was available. Instead, they packed his wound & stabilized him, then transported him by ambulance to McLaren Hospital, where he immediately needed several more blood transfusions before undergoing another surgery. Thankfully, Dr. McCullough and Dr. Rechner were able to stop the bleeding to get him to McLaren.

Once in surgery at McLaren, doctors discovered that his small bowel had completely separated from his stomach, cutting off blood flow to his stomach for a prolonged period. They had to remove a section of the small bowel and reattach it to his stomach. He still had sepsis in him and there are concerns about potential damage to his pancreas, but that is still uncertain. He is currently undergoing his third surgery to repair a hole in the downspout of his aortic valve, which has been leaking blood, this supplies circulation to the lower half of his body. Right now, doctors do not know what kind of damage this may have caused.

Lance is very sick, and everything remains touch and go. If further complications arise in his bowel or pancreas, they may need to move him to another hospital. During his most recent surgery, doctors had to switch sides while working through his groin due to a loss of pulse sensation in his leg. He is now out of surgery and in the ICU in stable condition for the time being, they are leaving him open for another surgery to reassess his bowel and pancreas for any additional issues. They are closely monitoring for infections and other complications. An MRI and CT scan are being held off until after his fourth surgery."

Please keep Lance and his family in your thoughts and prayers. Any help, whether financially, by sharing this post, or by offering support in other ways, would be appreciated.