Support for the Kazaricks

Thank you all for your support of Ed, Karen, and Isabelle during this difficult time. On April 30th at approximately 1:40pm, Ed was involved in a horrific car accident while returning home from Laughlin. He was rear-ended and his Jeep ultimately burst into flames.

Bystanders, including two off-duty firefighters, were able to pull Ed from the Jeep, He still sustained 2nd and 3rd degree burns to over 40% of his body. At which point He was airlifted to the nearest trauma center, the UMC Las Vegas Trauma Center. He was transferred to the Burn Center ICU and placed in an isolation room. Ed suffered heart failure due to the trauma of the accident while in ICU. His defibrillator gave warning in time so hospital staff were able to save him. He is also on continuous dialysis due to his waning kidneys from diabetes. On May 4th they performed a surgery on his wounds. On May 6th they performed a second surgery.

Eddie is currently in a medically induced coma in order to help him heal. He will continue to be undergoing several debridement surgeries over the next few weeks to months. He will then undergo plastic surgeries to replace and repair the damaged and burned skin. Eddie has a very long road to recovery ahead of him. Considering he wasn't healthy to begin with, everyday is going to be a battle. We need prayers the most right now.

Additionally, the medical expenses are going to be astronomical, and he obviously cannot work again. Karen will have to take a lot of time off from her self-employed piano teaching position to travel back and forth to Las Vegas to see him and stay there. Therefore the travel expenses for the next several months are going be through the roof. Not to mention childcare costs for their daughter.

We humbly reach out to all of you for any help you can provide this family at this time. It's going to be a long, hard road, and they could use all the help and support from the community they can get.

Here are a few links to newspaper articles on the accident.

http://kron4.com/2017/04/30/livermore-firefighter-helps-treats-victims-in-multiple-car-collision-off-duty-in-arizona/

http://iaff1974.org/mobile/index.cfm?zone=%2Funionactive%2Fview_article.cfm&HomeID=253668

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2017/05/03/bay-area-firefighter-helps-injured-victims-vacation/

If you have any questions about Eddie or Karen, please email me at [email protected]

Thank you all again for your love, prayers, and support during this extremely difficult time.

Katy Hoelzel