Benefit to help with medical expenses

Cannelton family faces more than $150,000 in hospital billsCANNELTON - A benefit to help a family pay more than $150,000 in medical bills for their young son will begin at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15 at the Fulton Hill Community Center.

Keigh'dyn Humphrey, who will be 1 year old Dec. 29, was born with a hole in his heart, according to his mother, Francheska Humphrey. Black mold in the family's Tell City home got into his lungs, she explained, aggravating his health problem to the point he was airlifted to Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville, Ky.

Keigh'dyn was flown to Kosair again when he was just over nine months old, after a girl who was holding him had a seizure and dropped him.

A resulting head injury required 450 stitches to repair the sac inside his skull, his mother explained, and 50 were needed to close his scalp.

When Keigh'dyn developed a slight fever Nov. 26, his mom gave him acetaminophen and put him in bed. When she checked on him a few minutes later, he was having a seizure, had stopped breathing and had no heartbeat, she said. She immediately started trying to revive him.

She continued rescue breaths as she was calling 911, Francheska said.

The boy's father, Mike Humphrey, took over and resuscitated Keigh'dyn before emergency medical technicians arrived. The baby's temperature was over 104 degrees when he arrived at Perry County Memorial Hospital, Francheska said. He was rushed back to Kosair.

The event will offer chances to win "tons of stuff" donated by businesses here, in Evansville and in Owensboro, Ky., Martin said. The Owensboro band, Gridlok, will provide entertainment. Admission will cost $15 per person or $20 per couple.

People who can't attend the benefit but would like to help the Humphreys can send contributions to them at 544 Knight Street, Cannelton, IN 47520.