My name is Mary Barton. I am a mother of 3 and grandmother of 10. It is so painful to watch when one of them is going through a difficult time. My daughter Kellie is haunted by the visions of watching her husband Chris being shot in the leg as a result of an accidental shooting. That was only intensified when he arrived at the hospital and went into cardiac arrest from the loss of blood, and then he asphyxiated when he choked on the intubation tube they were placing in his throat. This whole ordeal left him at a 30-40% oxygen intake for 90 mins. They were forced to put him in a medically induced coma and hook him up to blood transfusion machines for over a month, and the outcome was bleak. But here we are, 7 months later, and he has been a true fighter! His road to recovery has not been easy, and he still has a very long road to get back to a normal life. He can walk with assistive devices for short periods of time and has been in physical therapy for 3 months now. His 3 children have been severely impacted by their daddy’s absence during the 3-month hospital stay, and Kellie has been tested for her strength and determination to bring him home. Chris has been home now 4 months and has made amazing progress. His biggest obstacles now are the myoclonus tremors, retraining his arms and hands, and getting him back to walking with no assistance. We truly believe he will be back up on his feet sooner than doctors expected, but not soon enough, so a little bit of help is still needed. There have been countless prayers, sacrifices, and determination by so many to help this little family, and the prayers are still needed for a full recovery.
Since Chris was the wage earner of the family and will be unable to return to work for a while, I have started this fundraiser to help them with their future expenses and needs (mainly a new van to transport Chris in his wheelchair and to continue his physical therapy when his insurance runs out). It will be some time before they can get him on disability and have some kind of income. They had previous donations, but they have almost all been used for his medical insurance and monthly bills. Kellie is unable to work as she is now Chris’s full-time caregiver, as well as disabled from her own health problems from her Multiple Sclerosis that she was diagnosed with at the age of 17. Kellie is no stranger to challenges, but I would like to get this story out there and shared by as many as possible so Chris and Kellie’s challenges can be made just a little bit easier with love and support from their family, friends, acquaintances, co-workers, and anyone willing to help lift them up!! Thank you and God Bless!!
