Anyone who has ever met Phil Morey loves him. That may sound corny, but it’s true. Young, old, and in-between people gravitate towards him even though, in his own words, “I’m kinda a dick”. If you know, you know.
What some of you may not know is that Phil was in a horrible accident Saturday afternoon – June 14. He was walking down our driveway to his car, parked on the side of the road, to meet us at a ball tournament. When he got to the sidewalk a cyclist, who was riding fast down the hill ON the sidewalk, ran into and knocked him onto the pavement.
Phil is currently in the Victoria General ICU incubated and in a medically induced coma after having the front right temporal lobe removed during brain surgery on Sunday.
The doctors tell us it will be up to 2 or more weeks in ICU. After he will be moved to the neurological trauma unit where he will continue to recover – maybe up to 2 months. After that, we don’t know yet.
This is a LONG journey with many unknowns along the way. Some things we do know are:
• The portion of his brain that was removed is associated with facial recognition and memory.
• The trauma doctors say having photos, music, items, and most importantly, people around him once he comes out of the coma is important especially in the early stages of healing.
• Once he is OK to return to Campbell River, it will be months if not years of neurological and possibly physical rehab.
Kari & Phil just moved back from the States to start their new life here. They went to Robron Secondary School together and later met up during their 30th high school reunion. After cross-border dating for a few years the decision was made that Phil would become a 90-day finance. 3 days after the nuptials COVID shut everything down and they were forced to be with each other 24/7. They passed that test and continued to thrive. After a few job, family, and political issues they decided to move back to Campbell River this March. They just bought a house, found jobs, (Phil went back to Sherwin-Williams), and were enjoying their friends and family.
Right now we are raising funds for Phil’s family to be near him when he needs them the most. Accommodations aren’t cheap these days and every moment spent with him is a gift. Since Phil has only been at his job for a few months he does not qualify for Medical EI or have disability benefits. Also, considering this will be a long process it’s hard to predict what the financial impact will be.
Everyone who knows Phil from school, job, ball, hockey, Boston Pizza, etc… knows how special this guy is. Please keep him in your thoughts and/or prayers.
Donations can also be made at the Coastal Community Credit Union under Kari Fredheim.
