Gunned Down In Broad Daylight.........

Ray, 34 year old a God-fearing Christian man, and father, needs your help to cover the cost of a much needed skin graft surgery to allow his incision wound to fully heal. July 28th 2018 at 12:45PM in southwest Oklahoma City. At point blank range Ray was hit with two shots from a high powered semi-automatic 9MM handgun. The two bullets were both potentially fatal wounds with one entering the side of his ribs breaking a rib, puncturing a lung, penetrating the pancreas,only to finally stop traveling when it fractured the L5 Vertebrae in his back. The second bullet entered his left hip shattering the left Iliac wing then traveled completely through his body destroying everything on its way to fracturing the right Iliac wing . This bullet would work it's way out of the right hip as the body pushed it out by causing a spider bite like wound that until the bullet came out in a bandage change was thought to only be unrelated. Following the initial shooting, Ray was transported to the only level one trauma center in the state of Oklahoma where he underwent emergency surgery to remove his spleen. This surgery would require an incision on the mid-line as you will see in the picture, that would be stapled up to heal. Ray would remain in an induced coma for thirty-six hours before waking up in a panic on a ventilator. He would come off of life support shortly after and the following day was moved to the trauma unit where he spent the next 43 days. Less than a week after the initial injuries and surgery a most-wonderful registered nurse noticed that the wound to his crib area was leaking feces and he was taken within minutes back to the operating room. The doctors went on to perform an ostomy by way of the same incision used to do the splenectomy. This surgery and the use of that same incision is why the skin graft surgery is needed. After the surgery, the wound became seriously infected requiring two more surgeries where doctors had to clean the wound out. The wound was so long and so deep that it still over one year later has not fully closed up. This is what the doctors were concerned about at the time of surgery was the healing process. He still has the colostomy bag and won't be able to have it reversed until well after the midline incision has fully healed up. These injuries and that particular day were beyond life altering. Ray had to work with more dedications and determination than ever before to learn to walk again and start to live life as normal as possible. The midline incision wound prevents him from being submerged in water taking away the gift of swimming with his 10 year old baby girl. This is what he misses most about the days prior to this tragedy. The outcome could have been very different and instead of raising funds for a surgery, we could be raising funds for a burial and funeral. Thanks to the surgeons and doctors and the entire medical team at The University of Oklahoma Emergency Hospital and Trauma Center Ray is alive today and has just in the past several months been able to walk on his own after months of using a walker, and then a cane before having his hard work pay off when he would take his first steps alone. He has recovered as much as can be expected for such life-threatening, tragic, and horrific injuries. Ray still is dealing with sever PTSD along with several physical limitations, but remains optimistic and keeps his head held high with a positive attitude. The hopes of having a skin graft surgery as soon as possible Ray is able to stay motivated and knowing he will eventually get the opportunity to jump in a pool with his daughter. We, Ray more than anyone, are more than grateful for any donation or assistance that this fundraiser generates. Ray, says he is the luckiest man alive and that his guardian angel and the man upstairs were with him that day more than ever. Thank you to the trauma unit at OU medical, the first response team and paramedics, and anyone else who has kept Ray and his family in their prayers,

Ray & His Family