Family Fighting The Clock To Bring Dying Soldier Home To Kansas

Family Fighting The Clock To Bring Dying Soldier Home To Kansas
UPDATE: Hal Neukirch's family tells us he has taken a turn for the worse.
Reporter: Parrish Alleman
February 17, 2012

We have an update on a Kansas family's efforts to bring a dying soldier home to spend his last few days.

Hal Neukirch was supposed to fly home this Sunday, but a collapsed lung last night put those plans on hold.

Hal's sister tells us he is stable right now, doctors are waiting to put in a chest tube until Saturday morning; she says that's a good sign.

The Neukirchs say this latest health setback is the only thing keeping Hal at Fort Hood.

When we spoke to Hal Neukirch's wife Thursday night, she was already grateful for the donations people had made to bring Hal home.

“I just want to thank every body from the bottom of my heart I don't even know how to express this kind of thanks,” Pamela Neukirch said.

That was just the beginning. All day long people from across the country, have heard the soldier's story and asked how can they help.

“The support and the prayers have been; it's made a huge difference, a huge difference,” Hal's sister Tiffany Neukirch Demo said.

Not only did the Hal Neukirch Jr. Benefit Fund raise all the money needed to pay for the medical flight scheduled for Sunday; EagleMed, a critical care flight service here in Wichita, stepped up and offered to pick up Hal and fly him home, free of charge.

But even though the Nuekirch's have overcome the financial obstacles that stood in the way of their soldier's homecoming; his sudden turn for the worse Thursday night has still put his trip home on standby.

“We've got to hope, we can't do anything else but hope or we wouldn't be standing,” Demo said.
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Hal was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme.