Dementia has taken hold of his wife, he barely survived a lightning strike and he’s now buried in medical debt.
But through it all, Philip Schuyler somehow remains thankful.
In his first public statement since the bolt convulsed his body at the St. Augustine pier on July 12, Schuyler expressed his heartfelt appreciation for all those who’ve held him up since the incident.
“Thank you everybody for all the love and compassion,” he said in a YoutTube video from a hospital room posted by his family. “People who have donated, I really appreciate it. It has helped.”
Still showing visible facial wounds from the hit, Schuyler said his condition has improved markedly.
“I’m doing much better, he said. “It seems that every day I’m doing much better. The most I’m dealing with is my nerve pain.”
Schuyler was struck while standing on the pier with his wife and daughter. The bolt crashed through his body and exited through his hands and feet, throwing him violently to the ground.
He suffered injuries to his heart, nervous system, and face. His wife Diana, who has advanced dementia, was just a few steps away.
The immediate response to the strike included two emergency life flights—one from the pier to a nearby hospital, and a second to a burn and trauma center in Gainesville, where Schuyler remains.
While the flights were life-saving, the family has since said that insurance will not cover either of them. The cost is expected to total tens of thousands of dollars.
With no local support system and both short- and long-term care needs mounting, the family launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the growing expenses.
The campaign has now surpassed $10,000.
“This is one of the hardest things we’ve ever faced, and we don’t know what the road ahead will look like,” the family wrote on the fundraising page. “What we do know is this: we cannot do it alone.”
Schuyler’s daughter has taken over care responsibilities for both parents as her father continues his recovery.
“Thank you for all the love and support,” Schuyler said in the new video. “I can’t believe it. I feel humbled. Thank you so much.”
