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Support The Merrifields

Our friends and neighbor's, Tim & Cassie Merrifield, are going through a very difficult time.  Their son, Drew (14),  broke his neck in a trampoline accident on Tuesday evening, June 30, 2020.  He was very lucky to have survived the accident and is now in the hands of the amazing doctors and nurses at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego.
 
Drew recently graduated from Twin Peaks Middle School and is an excellent and beloved student, in addition to being an active and athletic young man .  Drew was a Poway All-Star baseball player, continues to play after Little League, and is looking forward to starting Poway High School and being a part of their baseball team.  He loves any opportunity to go fishing with his dad, hang out with friends, and do tricks on the trampoline.  We always enjoy seeing him out walking his dog, Lola, with his older brother Colton.

Drew had surgery on Tuesday night approximately 4 hours after the injury.  The surgery was to fuse his C2 & C3 vertebrae.  Our understanding is that the spinal cord was not severed, but was pinched or bruised.  He had very limited movement for the first couple of days and is unable to breathe fully on his own.  On Thursday, July 3rd, we received very uplifting news that Drew was moving his feet and having tingling sensations in his legs.  On Friday, July 4th, we learned that he is able to move additional body parts and is having physical therapy 3 times a day.  He is communicating by blinking his eyes and they have worked out a system with a whiteboard for communication.  The next hurdle is to get him breathing on his own.  Drew's team of doctors have said his turnaround and progress is impressive.  The doctors have also made it clear that each person reacts differently, and the road to recovery for this type of injury is a marathon, not a sprint.  The Merrifields have expressed how strong Drew is and that he is a "fighter".  

We are all heartbroken and hurting for their family and want to do something to help ease some of their worry.  We all know that it could have been any one of us, and can't imagine what they are dealing with.  We have started this GoFundMe to provide them assistance with Drew's medical costs, rehabilitation costs, and any necessary future expenses.  Despite having medical insurance, their portion will be extremely expensive.  In addition, both Tim & Cassie's employment continues to be affected by the COVID-19 shutdowns and is already causing financial concerns for their family.  Drew's recovery and rehabilitation is expected to be a full-time job for some time.    

Drew Merrifield is the beneficiary of this fund and Tim & Cassie Merrifield have been given the access to withdraw the funds as needed for Drew's expenses.   They have expressed how grateful and humbled they are by your outpouring of support.  

GoFundMe does not charge for using their website.  There is a 3% charge by the credit card processing company which is standard.  There is an option to "Tip" (Donate) an amount to GoFundMe to support their platform which is added to your donation and does not affect your donation to the Merrifields.  You can use the dropdown menu to give a percentage of your donation or choose "other" and enter any amount or enter $0 if you prefer not to donate to GoFundMe.   

If you would prefer to donate in another form, such as a check, gift card, Venmo, or other, please reach out through "Contact" below.

Thank you in advance, please keep them in your thoughts and prayers, and please share the GoFundMe link :) 

Friends of the Merrifields

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Donations 

  • Anonymous
    • $50 
    • 3 yrs
  • Stephen Conroy
    • $50 
    • 3 yrs
  • Anonymous
    • $22 
    • 4 yrs
  • Anonymous
    • $100 
    • 4 yrs
  • Debra Parks
    • $25 
    • 4 yrs
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Organizer and beneficiary

Friends Of The Merrifields
Organizer
Poway, CA
Cassie Merrifield
Beneficiary

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