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Real Friends' Dave Knox shares GoFundMe page for injured father

Dave Knox of Real Friends has posted a GoFundMe page in support of his father, who was debilitatingly injured during a bar attack in 2012.

You can read the heartbreaking story below, as posted on the GoFundMe. 

In only 20 hours after the page's opening, it had already collected nearly six thousand dollars.

“On January 1st, 2012, my father was attacked at a bar in Crestwood, Il and beaten to the point of unconsciousness. The attack caused his brain to bleed and swell to an enormous size, which could have been fatal if not treated immediately. Upon arrival at the hospital, he underwent a craniotomy (removal of a section of the skull) to relieve the swelling. The doctor’s informed us that, due to the severity of the injury, he only had a 20% chance of living through the surgery. Though the surgery was successful, he remained in a coma for the following three weeks and during that time he suffered from multiple strokes. After regaining consciousness, he was unable to function or communicate in any capacity other than blinking and nodding his head.

Once he was stable enough, my dad was moved to a nursing home where he received very poor care, so he was moved to another nursing home, only to receive the same negligent care. Finally, after weeks of research, he was transferred to the Marianjoy Rehabilitation center in Wheaton, IL. He spent roughly two months living at the facility. Due to the strokes and fact that he was bed-ridden for months, he lost all muscle mass and most motor skills. He had to regain all muscle mass, relearn how to sit up, balance, walk, speak, eat, do simple math, and basically everything we do and take for granted on a daily basis.

Though the care my dad received at Marianjoy was very beneficial and put him in a better place both physically and mentally, he will never be the same. Before the injury, he was capable of any task you put in front of him. He loved working on cars, building computers, traveling, and he worked as a successful machinist for twenty years. The permanent damage done to his body has left him unable to do most things that he loves, and doesn’t allow for him to fully enjoy his life. He is unable to walk without assistance, causing him to fall often. He suffers from depression, pseudo bulbar affect (a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary crying or uncontrollable episodes of crying and/or laughing, or other emotional displays), memory loss, lack of comprehension and basic motor skills, bowel and urinary incontinence, among other things. Aside from my dad, everything that has happened to him has taken an emotional toll on the rest of the family as well.

Four years later, I’m writing this because the case against the man who attacked my dad has basically crumbled in our hands. He was never criminally charged, and any financial compensation that we may have received has just gone out the window because he recently filed for bankruptcy. Four years of lawyer fees, hospital bills, and basic needs to care for him have taken a huge financial toll on my parents, and the burden will follow them for the rest of their lives. My dad will never be able to work again, so the financial responsibility has fallen solely on my mom. I’ve seen the power of the internet work wonders for people in need, so I’m reaching out with hopes of lessening the weight of their financial burden. Thank you for taking the time to read this and supporting in whatever way you can.

-David Knox”

We at AP wish Knox's family the best.

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