Craig Weidner's Recovery Fund

We are raising money for Craig Weidner, who is 54 years young, a devoted husband, father and grandfather. If you are lucky enough to personally know Craig, you know that he is the most determined, thoughtful, hard-working, happy-go-lucky man with a heart of gold.
On Friday, May 1st, 2015 my dad travelled to Asheville, North Carolina on an annual weekend trip to go golfing with a group of friends. After a round of golf and dinner my Dad tripped and fell in the parking lot.  He fell backwards and hit his head, fracturing his skull in two places, obtaining several small blood clots in his brain. Craig was airlifted to Mission Memorial Hospital in Asheville, and admitted to the Neurological ICU and after an initial MRI it was discovered that Craig had a bleed in his brain. Even though he was breathing on his own, Craig, who was unresponsive, was intubated for his own protection and was heavily sedated to assess his injuries. 

After a second MRI the next day we found out the bleeding in my dad's brain had stopped and but there was a build up of fluid in his lungs and he had developed a fever. The doctors gave him a round of antibiotics, which stopped the infection from spreading and helped clear his lungs.

On Sunday the doctors took the tube out of Craig's throat and he started breathing on his own but unfortunately was still unresponsive. The neurosurgeon was unclear if he was unresponsive from the sedation or if it were severe brain damage.

The doctors asked us not to speak to or touch him because it caused too much brain stimulation and would make it harder on his recovery. While sitting in his room with him on Monday one of his IV drips was low and started beeping.  The beeps woke my Dad up for a moment and he looked over in my direction and I said hello, and told him my name. The nurse then asked my Dad if he knew where I lived and he responded. He knew who I was. His next question was about his grandson and if he could see him. After explaining that my 7 month old could not come back into the ICU to see his Poppa, we coaxed him into brushing his teeth. I watched my Dad brush his teeth the same way I've been watching him do it for the last 24 years of my life, only this time it was much slower than and not as efficient as he usually is. 
On Tuesday Craig was discharged from the ICU but the doctors placed a feeding tube in through his nose to make sure he was still getting the nutrients he needs to survive.  During his stay, Craig has been in wrist restraints because he has been very combative and aggressive towards the doctors who have been doing their best to make him better. If you know my dad you know this is very unlike him. Considering the way he fell, the force of his head hitting the pavement caused his brain to push against the front of his skull causing injury to his frontal lobe which controls a person’s abilities to make good choices and recognize consequences. Damage to the frontal lobe can cause increased irritability, which may include a change in mood and an inability to regulate behavior, which unfortunately my mother, brother and I have experienced firsthand with my father.

After almost a week in the hospital and multiple small steps forward in my father’s recovery we are at a standstill. The doctors told us that long visits cause stimulation and stress to his brain and that it would be best for him to only check in and try not to interrupt his healing process.
 




At this point it is a waiting game to see when and if my dad will fully recover and what we need to do to make this process as easy as possible for him. There is no timeline or promises made on when he will be released but it has been made clear that he will need to be admitted into an in-patient rehabilitation facility to regain his independence.
 


While my Dad does have insurance and a very understanding employer he is the sole provider for himself and my mother, and with not only medical bills, but the cost of his rehabilitation, and day to day living expenses piling up I am asking for help.  If you have anything to spare please consider donating to my father's cause.

Any size donation is greatly appreciated and if you cannot donate a simple press of the share button with be just as helpful. I'm asking not only for myself but for my family and for the hope that one day my dad will get to watch my son grow and coach his little league baseball team like we've always talked about.

My dad is a loving, heartfelt, amazing man, who has unselfishly given so much of himself to so many others, never asking "What could I benefit from this?" So now, at this time, when he needs our help we have the chance to show him how thankful and grateful we can be in return.

Please consider a donation to our family and thank you immensely for your generosity.

-Chelsea Weidner