Family Of Injured Hatboro Officer Ryan Allen Starts GoFundMe To Help With In-Home Care

HATBORO, PA — The family of a Hatboro police officer who remains under doctor care following cardiac arrest brought on by a rare bee sting reaction last fall is asking for the public's help in raising money that can be put toward his in-home care when he is eventually discharged from a rehab facility.

Whitney Allen, wife of injured K9 Officer Ryan Allen, has started a GoFundMe page where supporters can donate money that will be used to build a private space at the family's home in Doylestown, Bucks County that will be designed to handle the injured officer's needs upon his return, Whitney Allen posted in a Facebook message Wednesday.

"After rehabilitation, we want Ryan to finally come home. However, we were informed that the 24/7 skilled nursing care he requires, as he is still completely dependent, will only be partly covered by insurance," Allen wrote on her Facebook page. "Additionally, because we never ever imagined this type of life altering medical event happening to either of us, our home is not currently equipped for Ryan's disabilities and needs."

Allen said the plan is to build a space that can address her husband's medical needs and allow him to be living close to family while getting the care that he'll need in order to move forward with his recovery.

Allen, who has been married to her husband for the past eight years, and together with him for a decade, thanked members of the community who have been helping her family in the form of "prayers, food, gifts for my two sweet boys, donations, the list goes on and one," and she said that she would greatly appreciate any financial assistance that people can give to help with her goal of creating the in-home rehab space for her husband.

"As always, thank you for your continued generosity, prayers, and support for our family during this time," Allen posted to Facebook.

As of Wednesday afternoon, three hours after the GoFundMe was created, there had already been more than $3,000 raised out of a total goal of $200,000.

Ryan Allen, who is only in his mid-30s, suffered a heart attack back on Oct. 14 of last year after suffering anaphylactic shock from a bee sting.

Whitney Allen said her husband had no history of a bee sting allergy.

Ryan Allen ended up being clinically dead for 20 minutes, but emergency medical personnel were ultimately able to restart his heart and he has been under doctor care ever since.

Ryan Allen ended up suffering an anoxic brain injury due to the lack of oxygen to his brain during the clinical death, and he spent seven weeks in the intensive care unit of a Philadelphia hospital, according to Whitney Allen.

He has spent the past few months transitioning back and forth between a hospital setting and rehabilitation facilities.

Whitney Allen says her husband is completely dependent on outside care and that he is in a "disordered state of consciousness," meaning he is not aware of his surroundings.

Whitney Allen said in her Facebook post that she is asking for the community's help in the form of financial donations because, "it is time for me to be his [Ryan's] hero as he has always been mine. This means being completely vulnerable and transparent and asking for more help."

Patch has been covering Allen's recovery. Past stories can be found here.