Teacher struck by lightning in coma at Shepherd Center

ATLANTA — For three months, an Army veteran and special education school teacher has been in a coma.

The Florida man is at the Shepherd Center. His wife has been by his side since the May accident.

“This is what I’m living my life by right now. Walk by faith not by sight,” Kari Shimer said. %

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Kari Shimer has that phrase tattooed on her arm. She says scripture, God and family are helping her remain strong for her husband, Luke Shimer. %

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“I miss his laugh a lot. Unfortunately, he's the person who would be getting us through a situation like this,” she said.

Luke Shimer was standing on a covered porch on a rainy day in May at a home in St. Augustine when lightning hit.

“We believe it hit the whole house and the porch was wet and that's what generated it through his body,” she said.

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Luke Shimer then went into cardiac arrest, and his father-in-law quickly began performing CPR.

Kari Shimer says her husband is a giver. He has years of military service, teaches special education and volunteers at a Haitian orphanage -- but now, others giving to them has them humbled.

“I think it's amazing that people who don't even know us want to help us,” she said.

There are plans to renovate their home for Luke's return, likely in a wheelchair. But these days, Kari Shimer says, the little things are everything.

“He said ‘Hi’ a couple of weeks ago. He's there and he'll open his eyes and look at me,” she said. “I have gotten a couple of smiles out of him and that's been good.”

Luke Shimer is not fully out of his coma yet, but he is making progress at the Shepherd Center.

“The fact that he's trying is good. To see him try to do stuff, that's hope right there,” she said.

Kari Shimer has not worked for months to stay by her husband's side to help. Someone has offered a place for her stay nearby and the family has created a GoFundMe page to help pay medical expenses.

Cox Media Group