It’s been a rough month for Kailah Clair and her family.
“It’s been rough emotionally seeing our dad the way he’s been,” said Kailah Clair, Ted Clair’s daughter.
Her father, struggling to say even a few words.
“Not talking that well,” said Ted Clair with some effort.
Ted Clair was stabbed seven times about a month ago near the Planned Parenthood in Grants Pass when he confronted Christopher Tolhurst, an anti-abortion activist, about pushing his daughter to the ground earlier in the day after she knocked over his protest signs.
That’s when Kailah said Tolhurst pulled out a knife and began stabbing her dad.
“This man stabbed my dad and tried to kill him,” began Kailah when she spoke with NBC 5 back on October 24, 2012.
“He stabbed my dad in the throat, he stabbed my dad in the lungs, he stabbed my dad in the liver, he stabbed my dad in the back in the stomach and in the side,” she said.
Ever since that day, Clair has been in the hospital. He was just released from the ICU a few days ago and uttered his first words on Thanksgiving.
But the stabbing has also caused multiple complications.
“He’s had two heart attacks, a stint put in, complete kidney failure. He does dialysis almost every day,” said Kailah.
“[He’s] really weak right now, he can’t really feed himself.”
While his condition is improving, a month of hospital bills continue to mount.
“We have to be making sure everything is paid,” said Kailah.
The family is trying to raise money, unsure what the future holds.
But Kailah said, the support they’ve received from the community has helped.
“[There are] people telling us they care and that they’re praying for us and for my dad and for our family. It really helps,” sobbed Kailah.
Kailah said doctors gave him a 30% chance of living when he was first admitted into the hospital. Now they’re calling his case a miracle.
“Thanks to everybody for giving me good wishes and all that. It’s been really tough,” said Ted Clair in a quiet voice.
But despite the tough road, it’s all paid off; Because tonight, he’s alive.
Christopher Tolhurst claims Clair repeatedly punched him in the face and his actions were in self-defense.
The family has set up a donation fund at Bank of the Cascades under “Ted A. Clair.” The money will go toward hospital bills and paying the mortgage on their home.
There will also be a container set up collecting soda can tabs at Why Not Market in Grants Pass. The tabs will be traded in for money and help lower the cost of dialysis.
Meantime, the District Attorney’s Office told us the case is still under review.
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