John Scarffe, Nederland.   Jerry French, owner and operator of Plumin’ Geek in Nederland, has been hospitalized since October 19, 2018 due to complications from a ruptured appendix. He and his wife, Jodi, a special education school teacher, have been unable to work since the hospitalization and his recovery is expected to be lengthy.

In an e-mail to The Mountain-Ear, Friend Nancy Squire wrote that Jerry went to the hospital on October 19 and had surgery for a ruptured appendix. On October 25, a staple from the first surgery got caught in the small intestine, requiring a second surgery to repair. They found that the small intestine had adhered to the colon and repaired that at that point as well.

Jerry developed pneumonia and required a chest tube to drain the fluid around his lungs. He has been on a Nasal Gastric tube the entire time and has a Pic Line for nutrition. He hasn’t had the ability to eat since he was admitted.

Jerry was taken to ICU but is back in his room, and they are hoping to remove the Nasal Gastric Tube, if he can hold food down. The recovery is going to be long, and they are not even sure when he will be released from the hospital.

Squire wrote that Jerry has lived in Nederland on and off for 20 years. He worked for Roto Rooter while at the same time working nights and weekends for Barry Carhart, deceased owner of Plumin’ Geek.

He took care of Barry Carhart until he passed. When Barry Carhart passed, he left his cabin in Eldora and his plumbing truck and Business to Jerry. “Jerry loves living on the mountain, because of the people, and enjoys helping others whenever he can,” Squire wrote.

Jodi met Jerry in 2012 when she needed a plumber for her house. They became very close friends, and in 2015 Jerry moved in with Jodi.

Together they have saved through adoption: four horses, five dogs, four cats and, when a friend passed, they took on his birds. Jodi helps Jerry with the business after she gets up the mountain from teaching and on weekends and has helped Jerry with his relationship with his 13-year-old daughter, Hanna, who will turn 14 in December.

People wanting to help can go to the Go Fund Me page at https://www.gofundme.com/plumming-geek and keep them in their prayers.