April Manals is lying in a coma in Pittsburgh with a life-threatening traumatic brain injury after her husband shot her and then killed himself at their Altoona home on Oct. 5. The couple's dog, Asher, was also killed in the shooting, and friends have now launched a fundraiser to help cover the medical and rehabilitation costs that lie ahead.
The shooting happened at a residence on the 2100 block of 19th Street, according to PennLive. Emir Manals, 54, was found dead from a single gunshot wound to the head, as reported by WTAJ, which noted that preliminary findings suggested a possible attempted homicide-suicide at the home. The Altoona Mirror reported that April remains in a coma in Pittsburgh as a result of her injuries.
A Shared Fight Against Mental Illness
April and Emir had been together for 20 years, marrying about a decade before the shooting, per the Mirror's reporting. The couple moved to Altoona within the past year, after an earlier move to Pittsburgh around the time Emir began showing signs of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, the outlet reports. At the time of the shooting, Emir was between therapy providers, according to Erica Laue, a co-organizer of the GoFundMe effort who lives in New Hampshire.
Laue said the couple tried to manage Emir's condition together, and that April had been working to find him new mental health providers, according to the GoFundMe narrative cited by the same outlet. Laue described April as a tough cookie with a kind heart, and said Emir was sweet and generous and fiercely loved his wife. Laue and April became friends with others from Lee, New Hampshire, beginning in middle school, and April grew up in that state before her life eventually led her to Pennsylvania.
A Grueling Road to Recovery
The GoFundMe narrative, titled Stand with April after Tragic Shooting, lays out a daunting picture of what awaits her if she wakes up: realizing that both her husband and their dog are gone. Organizers say April faces a physical recovery period of six to 12 months, followed by months or years of rehabilitation and a lifetime of trauma and grief therapy, the same report notes.
She may be unable to return to her home or her job, according to the GoFundMe narrative, and her medical bills alone could reach $500,000. The narrative describes April as the couple's financial breadwinner and primary support system, underscoring the financial strain her recovery could place on her life going forward.
What the Fundraiser Hopes to Cover
Organizers say they hope the GoFundMe proceeds can help pay up to a year of mortgage payments and storage bills, along with medical bills not covered by insurance, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation costs, trauma and grief therapy, and ongoing living expenses. As of Monday evening, the campaign had raised $16,800, per the Mirror's report.
Friends of April Manals started the fundraising page to help carry her through the uncertain months ahead, a community response to a tragedy that upended a family and a household in the span of a single October day. The extent of April's recovery and whether she will be able to return home remain unknown for now.
