Phillip has been wheelchair bound for many years with a rare disease related to ALS. This causes his muscles to slowly weaken over time and makes him wheelchair dependent and bed bound. The biggest concern is the loss of major muscles that control breathing and other basic body functions. However, this has never defeated him and he’s continued to live a full life raising his kids and staying active in his local church. But in November this changed. He was suddenly struck with intense pain in his abdomen. He was rushed to the hospital and found to have appendicitis. This led to emergency surgery, ICU, a tracheostomy to help him breathe, and living in a skilled nursing facility away from his family for 7+ months.
During his time in hospital, the house he rented was sold and his family was forced to move out. It was difficult to find a new place to live while he was in care.
After 7+ months struggling to get strong enough to leave the nursing facility, Phillip is transitioning to a new rented home with nursing care and home health care workers. He is able to help parent his young children and to see them on a daily basis. His wife, Amy, is very happy he is out of the hospital but it is very hard right now.
- The new rental is twice the cost of the previous house they rented due to the extreme housing crunch
- The house needs modifications set up for Phillip as he needs wheelchair accessibility and hospital equipment
- For example - The bedroom he is in has carpeting and this does not work well with the hoist and wheelchair. His wife put down some Pergo but because it is not a house they own, she could not pull up the carpeting. So she put the Pergo on top of the carpeting. This then caused the floor to break up under the hoist and wheelchair. This specific need is being remedied right now but the struggle continues.
- They have huge medical expenses from the 7+ months he was in hospital care.
- While they are granted health care help in the home, they cannot find health care workers due to the shortage of workers
- Amy, his wife, is taking care of 3 small children as well as trying to help Phillip. She is also trying to work part time and looking for another part time job. She is on the verge of collapse.
We need help to keep Phillip at home with his family. This family is in danger of losing their father. Phillip would be forced to go back into skilled nursing and the family would lose their home. They just need a little help right now to make it through this difficult transition.
"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." - 2 Cor 16-18
