In sickness and in health, Ben Stanford is fundraising so he can stay by his wifesa国际传媒檚 side while she is on a long road to recovery.
A was started by the Kelowna man after his wife, Rachel, broke her neck while spending time with family on the May Long weekend.
sa国际传媒淲e were at Gyro Beach and my wife and kids were playing in the water. I saw Katie and Rachel were about to go off the rope swing and the phone was handy so I just grabbed it and started filming. I saw Katie go off the rope swing, I filmed my other daughter in the water, and then I turned the camera back and I caught Rachel go off the rope swing and I caught the accident.sa国际传媒�
Stanford said his wife was screaming when she came up from under the water and his initial thought was that she was reacting to the chilly water.
sa国际传媒淚 started running toward her and my eldest Katie said that it was momsa国际传媒檚 tooth, so I thought that we were going to go looking for a tooth. I ran into the water and when I heard sa国际传媒楤en ow,sa国际传媒� and her hands were up going toward her neck a little bit. As I got closer I realized there was blood coming from her forehead, her nose, and her mouth.sa国际传媒�
Stanford works as a care aide for Kelowna General Hospital, and thanks to his basic first aid training for being able to calmly help his wife.
sa国际传媒淢y ten-year-old actually ran and grabbed the phone and knew because Rachel had shown her how to call 911, which is very impressive, and she brought the phone over to me and had already contacted 911 with an ambulance on the way.sa国际传媒�
Stanford said it wasnsa国际传媒檛 until the next day that reality set in.
sa国际传媒淭he medical knowledge is good, but really itsa国际传媒檚 the first aid training. Someone can get what I have for first aid training on a weekend. Of course, I have a little bit more with care aide, but first aid - Isa国际传媒檝e said in every interview - I cansa国际传媒檛 say enough good things about being first aid trained.sa国际传媒�
Now, the father of six is fundraising to make up for lost wages while hesa国际传媒檚 off work to care for Rachel.
sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e set up at home. Theresa国际传媒檚 just no way to get comfortable right now,sa国际传媒� Stanford said, noting his wife is in a world of pain and will be in a collar for eight to ten weeks.
Thankfully surgery isnsa国际传媒檛 anticipated right now, but Rachel has to go regularly for X-rays and it isnsa国际传媒檛 out of the question entirely. It is expected to be a year before Rachel can go back to normal life.
Donations have been pouring in over the past few days, and by the afternoon of May 28, the money was just a few hundred dollars shy of the $10,000 goal.
sa国际传媒淭he amount of outpouring of support wesa国际传媒檝e got, wesa国际传媒檝e had people offer to pick up driving for us or to sit in a give us rest breaks while I go out. Wesa国际传媒檝e had people offer food and to make meals. Honestly, itsa国际传媒檚 more than wesa国际传媒檝e asked for alreadysa国际传媒� I look at the donations page and I see names that I recognize and I see a lot that I donsa国际传媒檛 and that really speaks volumes.sa国际传媒�
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brittany.webster@blackpress.ca
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