Tyler Coultas medical expenses from a traumatic brain injury

My name is Debby Keener and I am sponsoring this GoFundMe page for Tyler because he and his family desperately need financial help.

On a Wednesday afternoon, March 20th, Tyler walked into a convenience store to get a soft drink, suddenly lost consciousness and was found unresponsive on the floor. He was rushed to UK hospital with a head injury so severe that he had to have an emergency hemicraniectomy and removal of a hematoma from his brain. Tyler’s head had swollen from a massive brain bleed.

Tyler attended Lafayette High School, UK and Old Miss. He has worked at Molly Brooke’s Irish bar for 3 years and is a favorite to all. He is an outgoing 32 year old who has a wonderful sense of humor and is very compassionate. As an example of the kind of person Tyler is, he recently got a yin and yang tattoo and when his father asked about it, Tyler said it was to remind him to always have empathy for others.

I have known Tyler and his family since grade school when he and my son Jordan first met. My son is the reason I was drawn to sponsor this GoFundMe page. At the age of 16, he sustained a spinal cord injury following a car accident and began a journey of extensive care and rehabilitation throughout his young life. I know firsthand the magnitude of care that Tyler will require from here on as I was with Jordan at UK hospital for 4 weeks, at the Shepherd Center for 6 weeks and Cardinal Hill Hospital for ongoing outpatient therapy.

Regrettably, Tyler has very limited insurance. It paid for his 30 days of hospital care but will only cover two weeks at an acute care facility and only two weeks at a TBI rehab hospital. After that, Tyler would be released to stay with his parents.

Karen Coultas, Tyler‘s mom is a retired 4th grade school teacher. Bill Coultas, Tyler‘s father, is a retired Verizon Supervisor and is disabled and unable to drive. Karen also cares for her brother with Downs Syndrome. Because Tyler requires extensive rehab, Karen and Bill are faced with the grim reality of taking out a second mortgage on their home in order to pay cash for what insurance will not pay for.

The cash price for 30 days of inpatient rehabilitation in the traumatic brain injury unit at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta will cost $120,000 and that does not include medical transport and other fees. This may sound like an astronomical amount, but I can assure you that the care and compassion that Tyler will receive there is beyond priceless.

There is no diagnosis as to what caused Tyler‘s fall or any idea as to the extent of the damage from his TBI (traumatic brain injury). I urge everyone to put yourself in Tyler’s position. The situation could and did happen out of the blue. His family is coping the best they can, but desperately need to be able to give him the extensive rehab and care that he needs. Tyler deserves the chance to become an independent, self-supporting, and self confident individual again.

Please donate what you can. All funds are transferred directly to Tyler’s parents for his care. Thank you.

Link to the Shepherd Center

Shepherd.org