From 2001 to 2012, Chris Walker, a now medically retired combat veteran, was deployed in Iraq and serving in the United States Army. He dedicated over a decade of his life in an effort to defend our country and the values we stand for. Since retiring, Chris has moved into the Lewisburg, Pa. community and has had a significant impact on local veterans, using his fishing expertise to offer guided fishing trips for veterans and their families in the local Pennsylvania area.

On Sept. 24, Chris fell from the top story of his house while fixing a broken portion of the roof. The fall caused Chris to significantly injure his leg, and required immediate medical attention. After rushing to the hospital, doctors began operating and ultimately came to the conclusion that his leg would need to be amputated. Chris spent another three weeks in the hospital before his release, only to be brought back for an additional three weeks after a serious infection was discovered.

Chris’s wife, Kinda, also a veteran of the Army, served in Iraq from 2003-2015. This year, Kinda began working as a cook at the Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) fraternity house at the University. When the brothers of the fraternity heard the news regarding the Walker family, they immediately began envisioning ways they could help. The most popular idea was to repair the damages to the roof Chris had been fixing before the accident.

“Fixing Kinda’s roof was the least we could do for her after all the work she does for us,” Parker Pridgen ’19 said. “Watching such a nice person experience so much pain is hard. We wanted to come up with a few different ways we could assist her family during this struggle.”

The brothers of FIJI visited the Walkers’ home to repair the damaged roof that was exposing the interior of the home to the harsh outdoors. They began by stripping the older pieces from the base layer, applied the new roofing over it, and finally building a sturdy new surface. The Walker family was extremely appreciative, as the roof had been half-barren since Chris had fallen. But, for the brothers of FIJI, fixing the roof was not enough.

“The roof was a great start in helping the Walker family, but we knew we could continue our efforts of assistance in other ways, too,” Jack Hall-Tipping ’18 said.

Following the roof repairs, the brothers established a GoFundMe page online, and promptly shared it with family and friends. Their mission is to raise $5,000 for the Walker family to help pay for their medical bills. As of Nov. 15, the page has received $3,345 in donations and is well on its way to reaching the goal. Social media has been a huge help towards fundraising efforts, as the page has been visited over 1,000 times and has over 50 shares on Facebook.

“He’s doing much better. The infection was a huge setback when we had to go back to the hospital, but we got through it,” Kinda said. “I am so thankful the boys were kind enough to fix the roof, and all the fundraising they have done is just great. It means so much to my family.” As of now, Chris’ leg is still stapled and stitched together, but he is unable to use a prosthetic leg until further recovering. Both the University and Lewisburg communities are holding the Walker family in their thoughts and prayers, and wish Chris a healthy recovery.

To donate to help the Walker family, please follow the link below to the GoFundMe page:

Link: https://www.gofundme.com/wnqhh-chris-medical-fund