An Arizona grandfather is facing an above-knee amputation of his right leg after his family says he tripped and fell while walking outside in Bullhead City amid scorching 120-degree heat earlier this month.
Grant Siler, 72, was walking on Aug. 3 in Bullhead City when he fell, an incident that sent his body temperature soaring above 105 degrees, according to his family.
A GoFundMe set up for the family said Siler remained on the ground for an estimated hour or longer before a passerby discovered him. The fundraiser said he suffered second- and third-degree burns across several parts of his body, along with heat stroke and multiple organ shock.
Grant Siler, 72, fell during a walk on Aug. 3 in Bullhead City. (GoFundMe)
Siler was later transported to a burn ICU in Las Vegas, where he has continued receiving treatment since the accident. Doctors determined upon his arrival that he was suffering from heat stroke and organ shock.
“He is in constant pain, can barely move, and has undergone two debridements. Also, he will soon need to undergo surgery for amputation, the extent is not yet known,” the GoFundMe reads.
In a subsequent update on the fundraiser, the family said a surgeon found the tissue damage in Siler’s right leg was so extensive that it was unlikely to heal completely.
Siler is scheduled to undergo an above-knee amputation of his right leg on Aug. 31, according to FOX 10 Phoenix.
Grant Siler was left helpless and unable to get back to his feet until someone eventually noticed him after at least an hour. (GoFundMe)
“The plan now is to have an above-knee amputation. The Dr’s feel he will overall heal faster and have better pain control this way,” the fundraiser reads.
“We can all imagine that after any amputation, the road to recovery is long and hard…physically, mentally and emotionally,” it continued.
His wife, Vicki, has been traveling one-and-a-half-hours each way to be with her husband as she continuing to work to support the family’s financial obligations. The family said the couple will also soon have to face medical bills to help with Siler’s recovery.
The family is accepting donations to help with home renovations, home medical supplies, prosthetics and other added costs.
Grant Siler now faces an Aug. 31 surgery to amputate his right leg above the knee. (GoFundMe)
Siler’s daughter, Heather Crook, recalled an incident in which he dropped an 80-pound cinderblock on his foot but did not even take a Tylenol.
“He’s hurting really bad,” Crook told FOX 10. “He’s the ‘get up and walk it off’ type.”
“So for him to holler out in pain … it’s really hard to hear. That’s not the kind of person that he is,” she added.
