A B.C. father of two is fighting for his life after being involved in a serious snowmobiling accident near Whistler last week.
Richard "Chuckie" Smith was snowmobiling in Brandywine Falls Provincial Park when he went over a cliff on April 13, Global News reports. The Surrey dad was airlifted to Vancouver General Hospital in critical condition and is currently in a coma, according to the news outlet.
To help Smith's family through this difficult time, the Surrey community has created both a Facebook page and a fundraising site for the cause.
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Richard 'Chuckie' Smith
"Support for Richard Chuckie Smith and his Family" allows supporters and viewers to share photos of Smith and stay up-to-date on his progress. He is staying in the hospital's neurological ICU.
An update posted on Monday describes his current condition:
Chuckie's still much the same today, not responding, still unsettled with his cranial pressures, respiratory issues better today, he still has a lot of secretions coming [from] his chest, they started a different antibiotic yesterday, still dealing with fevers, he seems comfortable and has a wonderful nurse....Just wanted to send everybody an update. He's a fighter, Keep the faith, send your energy, be positive.
A FundRazr page called "Help Chuck's family through this tough time" has also been established to help the family pay for things like a hotel room close to the hospital. It has raised over $7,000 since its launch on Thursday.
"I want to sincerely thank each and every person for their donation, love and support that you are giving during this very difficult time," Janine Meredith, who identifies herself as Smith's sister, wrote on the crowdfunding page.
"There are no words to express our gratitude for the generosity and love that has been shown towards my brother and his family. We have been blown away by the amount of people that know and love my brother. Our deepest appreciation to all!"
A fundraiser pub night for Smith will be held on Friday, at Langley's Thirsty Penguin Pub & Grill.