$29K raised for IBEW 1 apprentice injured in on-the-job fall

Brittney Standley’s condition upgraded, moved to acute care

By SHERI GASSAWAY
Correspondent

More than $29,000 has been raised for an IBEW Local 1 member who was critically injured in an on-the-job accident with many of those donations coming from local and national union members.

Brittney Standley, a fourth-year apprentice was working on a telecommunications and security remodeling project at the Sleep Number Store at 701 Gravois, Fenton, Mo., when she fell off a ladder May 4 inside of a room in the back of the store.

Standley was immediately taken to the hospital where she underwent emergency surgery to relieve pressure caused by three fractures on the left side of her skull and to treat a blood clot on her brain.

CONDITION UPGRADED
“Yesterday was a big day for Brittany – huge,” IBEW Local 1 apprentice Meghan Barnes wrote on Sunday, May 15 on the GoFundMe page update. “She was moved from the intensive care unit to acute care.”

Standley, of Pevely, is a communications apprentice at Kay Bee Electric & Systems. The 35-year-old is a mother of two young boys, Anthony and Vinney, and is 20 weeks pregnant with her third child.

Barnes said the baby is doing ok, but Brittany is only allowed certain medications since she is pregnant. She said it’s a ‘fighting battle’ to keep her comfortable.

‘A WARRIOR’
“She is a warrior,” Barnes said. “She has some short/long term memory loss, which we’re praying will return over time. Her love and compassion still shines through even though she isn’t her quirky self, but she is in there!”

Barnes created the GoFundMe account on the day of the accident to help Standley and her children with medical expenses and everyday bills. Since then, almost 400 people have contributed more than $28,000.

DONATIONS FROM UNION MEMBERS
Many of those donations came from fellow union members, both near and far. Here are a few of their “get well messages” from the GoFundMe account:

• “This hits home. Praying for you and your baby. Love from IBEW Local 103.”   – Jillian Higgins, of Boston, Mass.
• “Keep Strong Brittney! I know you’ve got this. You have a world of support out here. Praying for you and your speedy recovery! Your union brothers and sisters, no matter the trade, are here for you!”   – Milwrights Local 1839, of St. Louis
• “Stay strong. Sending love from Glaziers Local 558.”  – Travis Hostetler, of the Kansas City metro area

TO HELP
To donate to the account and for updates, visit: gofund.me/9fdd5492.

Ladder-related fall statistics

Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that 43 percent of fatal falls in the last decade involved a ladder.

• An estimated 81 percent of construction workers’ fall injuries treated in U.S. emergency departments involve a ladder, according to Industrial Safety and Hygiene News.

• More than 500,000 people in the United States are injured each year — and more than 300 die — from ladder-related injuries.

• The estimated annual cost of ladder injuries in the United States is $24 billion, including work loss, medical/legal liability, and expenses related to pain and suffering.