Beneath Deck cameraman Brent Freeburg is in a coma after he suffered two strokes and a subdural hematoma on Saturday, Feb. 15, in Redondo Seaside, Calif., in keeping with a GoFundMe created by his household.
Freeburg has labored as a digital camera operator on a number of actuality TV exhibits, together with Dance Mothers and Beneath Deck. Throughout Beneath Deck‘s sixth season in 2018, Freeburg made headlines for saving solid member deckhand Ashton Pienaar, who was pulled overboard when a tow line wrapped round his ankle.
Pienaar shared the information of Freeburg’s well being on Instagram on Tuesday, Feb. 25, including, “Some folks depart an influence in your life you can by no means repay. Brent is a type of folks for me.”
“When you’ve got a second, please preserve him in your ideas,” Pienaar continued. “Wishing him power, therapeutic, and a full restoration. 💙.”
GoFundMe
Freeburg’s mom, Cheri, introduced on the GoFundMe web page that her son had a subdural hematoma and was admitted to the hospital for emergency surgical procedure. (A subdural hematoma is a “buildup of blood on the floor of the mind [and] in an area between the protecting layers that encompass your mind,” per Cedars-Sinai.)
In an replace the next day, Cheri mentioned her son suffered a stroke and “is weak on his left aspect.” On Saturday, Feb. 22, “the neurologist defined the broken a part of his mind from the stroke seems to be simply his left aspect of the physique and nothing else, up to now,” Cheri wrote.
The subsequent day, he underwent a profitable percutaneous tracheostomy, which “is a surgically created airway that’s saved open with a respiration tube,” per The New England Journal of Medicine. Then, on Monday, Feb. 24, he was administered a feeding peg out of his nostril and into his abdomen.
The Monday replace additionally mentioned he doesn’t have any extra upcoming procedures, however he’ll stay on the hospital for “a couple of extra days a minimum of” after which transfer to a rehab facility. As of Tuesday, Feb. 25, Freeburg had an an infection, however medical doctors haven’t recognized its supply. The GoFundMe famous that day that Freeburg does open his eyes “each infrequently.”
On Thursday, Feb. 27, his cousin posted an replace to Instagram, sharing “excellent news” that he “did transfer his toes and squeeze his hand on command.”
GoFundMe
The GoFundMe additionally chronicled Freeburg’s life for donors. The outline highlights how Freeburg grew to become a digital camera operator and saved Pienaar on the job.
“Brent had no ardour to be on digital camera, however rapidly discovered his strategy to the forefront throughout one pivotal and life altering second. Ashton was rapidly whisked away to sea trapped, and drowning. Brent made the choice to interrupt the dreaded fourth wall and rapidly went from spectator to hero,” the assertion described his heroic act. “Nonetheless, [he] was all the time our hero.”
By no means miss a narrative — join PEOPLE’s free day by day e-newsletter to remain up-to-date on the most effective of what PEOPLE has to supply, from movie star information to forcing human curiosity tales.
The household defined that they “are determined to move him” to an east coast hospital. “With out medical insurance coverage at present, we’re asking to your assist,” learn the replace. “Please unfold the phrase so Brent, our cameraman, our hero, might be at residence together with his household by his aspect.”
