(07-11-2025, 08:30 PM)George Cantstandya Wrote: Looks like from an update to the original article they are doing a fund raiser to help with Brad's medical expenses at Wings and Rings on Dixie Highway in Crestview Hills July 16th if anyone in the area is interested.  I think many of us recall he often talks about going there.  

https://www.wlwt.com/article/kentucky-turkeyfoot-road-brad-fritz-driver-crash/65356549

(07-12-2025, 12:40 AM)pally Wrote: The 71 year old driver admitted to having 2 beers ( as any cop will tell you..they always claim 2 drinks). However, his BAC was 1.12. Legally drunk in Kentucky is .08

(07-12-2025, 11:08 AM)jfkbengals Wrote: At 71, he may be telling the truth.  Most people aren’t aware that the bodies ability to metabolize alcohol decreases considerably as you age.  Knock them back fast enough in a short window, and it builds quickly.  All the more reason it is imperative to not drive afterwards.  People always want to try and remember the old charts saying 1 drink an hour is okay, but that is for a young, healthy person.

Quote:Update on Brad:

Our goal to have a day better than the day before has been accomplished. If I had to describe today, I would say it was an emotional rollercoaster. Physically, Brad is improving. Emotionally, things are getting harder. Let's start with the positives.

This evening Brad was able to eat a few cut up pieces of grilled cheese. This is the first food he has attempted. It was a challenge to effectively chew with the facial fractures, but he got it done. He did swallow the food with some pain. It might not seem like a big deal, but had to pass a swallow test for the dr's to allow this. Yesterday he did not pass; today he did. It also means that he can move to oral medication rather IV. While IV meds work much faster, they don't have as much of a lasting effect. This was causing a lot of his discomfort and oral medication helped ease the pain for longer periods of time. They did some breathing treatments on him to try to strengthen his lungs. He's got a lot of work to do on that. It's hard for him to even cough. And when he does, the pain in his ribs is intense. Tough to watch. His chest tube was removed from his lungs which helped with some of the discomsfort. They did some suctioning to clear him out. His short term memory improved slightly, but still a concern. He asks a lot of repetitive questions related to his current care and when are we leaving. They were going to try to move him into a chair today but he just wasn't ready. They did get him up but had to get him back in bed. The fact that it was even an option was an improvement.

The downside is the emotions and acceptance of his condition. His frustrations and disappointment are continuing to grow. And I can't blame him. Its tough to accept the condition his body is in. His right arm is healing but not usable at this point. His left arm has its own issues and covered in IV's. Swallowing, coughing, or any movement causes him pain. His head is covered in staples. Overall pain is insane. I honestly don't know how he does it. Most would have thrown in the towel by now. Champ is Champ, but he has his moments that any of us would have. It's hard; really hard. Our family shares a lot of joyful moments and lot of tears throughout the day.

It was discussed with the staff that once Brad can leave UC, he will need to go a rehab center. We are lucky enough to have some great facilities in NKY for this. We will cross that bridge when we get there. While he is continuing to improve, he has a LONG way to go.

Keep the prayers coming.

(07-12-2025, 02:27 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: Another update on Brad:

Quote:Mickey Fritz
12h  ·
When they first reached about doing a GoFundMe page, we were hesitant. It was not because Brad didn't need the help. It was due to the fact that we were uncertain about what all he would need. The uncertainty is still there but the needs continue to climb. As you can imagine, Brad's wheelchair was destroyed in the accident. What most people don't realize is that chair is approximately $40k. We were told insurance will not replace his chair, but we are obviously trying to challenge that (fingers crossed). His house is going to need additional handicap accessible alterations to help him adjust. There is a chance that we are going to need some in-home help if/when he is lucky enough to get back home. Lots of unknowns are coming his way. These are all things that we are prepared to absorb on his behalf. However, our community is incredible. When we say "no" to help, they show up with gift cards. For those that are looking for ways to assist ( and please do not feel like you have to!), every dollar here will go to bettering his recovery. Our family is beyond thankful for your support of Brad.

(07-13-2025, 01:37 PM)pally Wrote: A go fund me for Brad.  One of his needs will be to replace his $40,000 wheelchair that isn't covered by insurance

from Brad's brother



https://gofund.me/bf78c16a

 

(07-13-2025, 02:42 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: WOW! They've just started and are already 90% to their goal. I guess "The Champ" is a big thing!

(07-13-2025, 03:07 PM)pally Wrote: when I posted it was just at $40,000 so its growing fast

(07-13-2025, 02:42 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: WOW! They've just started and are already 90% to their goal. I guess "The Champ" is a big thing!

Quote:We had some big changes (in a good way), but not a whole late to report for the day. Brad was in even better spirits today as he spent most of the time reviewing cards, comments, posts from all of you. He watched several of the news videos and he smiled through everyone of them! The success of the GoFundMe is astonishing. He is in disbelief. We all were talking about it and while the dollar amount is incredible, the number of donations is what really is unbelievable. I wish I could reach out to each person individually, but please know we are forever grateful!

The big change of the day is that Brad was moved from the ICU floor. As I have mentioned in previous posts, he has overcome the "life threatening" aspects of his injuries. He still needs to build his respiratory strength, but that can be done outside of ICU. He will remain at UC until we can get him confirmed and cleared for the rehab center. We are hopeful to have more information on that tomorrow. How long he stays at the rehab center will depend on his progress. He will need to regain use of his right arm and work with voc rehab on adapting to his injuries.

The best news is that Brad will be allowed to start having visitors! He is anxious to see everyone and we want everyone to see him. However, we need to make sure we don't overwhelm him and allow him to rest. I have a feeling that if I posted his room number on here we would have 100's of people show up (which normally is great!). If you would like to stop by please reach out to me.

On the same note, Brad’s journey is going to be a long one. He is going to need support and encouragement for the weeks and months to come. I say this because we have unfortunately been down this road before. It would be great to have 100's people still showing up when he is home! He is in this for the long haul. We are going to need the support of the community to be around when the crowds aren't as big. I am hoping to get his phone and Ipad back to him this week but need to check on that. As soon as he can get his messages, I will let you know.

Hopeful that tomorrow is even better than today. Keep the prayers coming. Thanks to all of you for keeping him going.