We all know it’s true, but sometimes we forget (or try to forget). But regardless of whether we ignore it or deny it, the fact is that life can change in the blink of an eye.

And that is exactly what happened for a Martins Ferry man and his family several days ago.

That man is Jeff Williams — a friend of my husband Mike’s since they went to Bridgeport High School together. Jeff and his wife Christi (Trigg) Williams and their daughters, Kiri and Ashlyn, have made their home in Martins Ferry for a couple of decades now, and Jeff and Christi both work at local businesses. Kiri is a student at Muskingum University, while Ashlyn is a Purple Rider who participates in band, drama and more.

Earlier this month, Jeff suddenly fell from a piece of equipment, striking his head and suffering a major spinal injury. He was flown by medical helicopter to a Pittsburgh hospital, where he underwent surgery and is still fighting to recover. As of Thursday, he was still relying on a ventilator to breath. So far, he has shown no sign of being able to move from his waist down.

I know these details and a few more because I have been checking in with Christi every few days, hoping to hear good news and wanting to help in any way that Mike and I can.

We have all been friends for a very long time. We have gone out boating together. We have gone out to clubs to see bands together, and we have played countless hands of euchre and other games.

I see Christi fairly often, bumping into her at the Ohio Valley Mall or buying something from a fundraiser one of the girls had been taking part in. We also got to see Jeff recently, when he brought Kiri and a friend to see Mike perform a magic show at Moundsville’s Grand Vue Park in March.

Of course, when we parted ways we always assumed we would see them again soon — and in good health — just as we do with all our friends and loved ones.

Maybe we all need to give that practice a second thought. We never know what will happen, so perhaps we need to be more mindful of the happy, healthy times we have together and be more grateful for them.

All indications are that Jeff has a long road ahead of him to recovery. It will be a challenging time for his entire family as well.

They are one local family that could use a lot of support of all sorts.

Friends and family members understood that Jeff and Christi’s income would be affected by his inability to work while hospitalized and by her need to travel to be with him. In an effort to help, they organized a GoFundMe campaign to benefit the Williams family as they find their way through this difficult time.

If you know Jeff or Christi, or if you are simply a benevolent person who can afford to help, you can find the account online at gofund.me/55370bf2 or you can go to gofundme.com and search for Jeff Williams. The fundraiser is titled “Help for Jeff and his family.”

I know they will appreciate any and all help that they receive. I wish them all the best and hope to hear soon that Jeff’s condition is improving. In the meantime, we stand ready to do anything we can to make this journey a little bit easier for our friends.