Tami Chmielewski.Photo: Tami Chmielewski/Facebook
A single mom of four children suffered severe third-degree burns over 30 percent of her body from a bonfire while on vacation in Minnesota to attend a friend’s wedding, and her family is seeking help to bring her home and continue what they say will be months of therapy.
“Our mom is strong, selfless, caring, and so determined as an individual,” they wrote. “The first concern she voiced was her concern for the others that witnessed/were involved in the accident and asked how they were doing.”
The mother of three adult children and one minor child already has undergone multiple daily procedures to remove her burned skin, additional procedures under anesthesia and at least one round of skin-grafting, according to the family.
Tami Chmielewski.Tami Chmielewski/Facebook
On Saturday, the family wrote: “Mom had a strenuous day working with the therapy team today. Those of you that know her, know she loves working out and pushing herself. That hasn’t changed, she was so close to standing on her own today. One day at a time and constantly reminding her to extend herself GRACE. Long road ahead, but I think she’s up for the challenge. We will be alongside her and continue looking forward.”
On the GoFundMe post, which already has collected pledges totaling nearly $60,000, they also said: “This accident has been and will be life-altering. A lot of therapy physically and mentally will need to take place over the next months and years to recover from this.”
“A medical flight back to Arizona is estimated to cost around $80,000,” they wrote. “Her children have put together this fundraiser to assist our mother in relieving her the best we can of the financial burden.”
None of Chmielewski’s children have been able to see her.
“Any donation helps and we appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts,” Hardwick told AZFamily.com. “Thank you will never be enough and there is no way we can ever pay it back. But we will pay it forward as soon as we can.”
source: people.com
