GoFundMe For 25-Year-Old Tuscaloosa Man In ICU With COVID-19

TUSCALOOSA, AL — A Tuscaloosa man is fighting for his life after being hospitalized with COVID-19, resulting in high medical bills for a young family. This has prompted swift action by a family member, who started an online fundraising drive to help cover expenses.

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Austin Benton, 25, has been hospitalized at DCH Regional Medical Center since Aug. 30 and is currently on a ventilator, according to his sister. A father of two daughters with another baby on the way, Benton's family has already received medical bills in excess of $3,000.

This led Benton's sister, Centreville resident Kerri Cooksey, to start a GoFundMe drive to raise $5,000 for the young family.

"He has a pregnant wife at home and five- and one-year-old daughters," she told Patch on Friday. "They are struggling financially due to my brother being in the hospital and not able to work."

As of the publication of this story, four donors had given $220 toward its goal.

In the latest update on Benton's condition, Cooksey said her brother tried to get up out of bed Thursday, even though he is still somewhat sedated.

"He even tried to turn his head toward his wife while she video chatted him today," Cooksey said on the GoFundMe page. "He is slowly getting better, but with little insurance they can't afford to cover his medical bills. His pregnant wife is struggling right now. She's 5-6 months pregnant and talking about going back to work, but if she does, she doesn't have anyone to watch their girls."

To donate to the Benton family, click here.

Sadly, Benton is just one of an increasing number of young people who are being hospitalized with COVID-19 at a higher rate than at any other point during the pandemic. As Patch reported earlier this week, DCH Health System has stressed this notion to those under the age of 50, as trends show younger people, particularly those who have not been vaccinated, being more acutely affected by the virus during the current surge.

Patch also reported on Thursday that ALEA Senior Trooper Jason Vice, 41, died Thursday after a battle with the virus, further underscoring its impact on younger cohorts and the devastating toll COVID-19 continues to exact at the community level.

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