Every family experiences hiccups in life, but lately it has been a bit much. The last year and a half has presented our family with significant challenges. We have done our best to keep moving forward. Basically, we put our heads down and plow forward, not asking for anything, trying to see the positive in the challenges, and getting back to 'normal life' as quickly as possible. Here's a summary:
12/10/2021 - Erica diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue
1/122022 - Erica's cancer removal surgery (ongoing nerve damage issues impacting speaking, eating, tasting, etc.; 4 month check-ups for 5 years)
3/7/2022-4/22/2023 - 33 radiation treatments of the cancer area due to cancer cells being detected in the nerve systems near the tumor (ongoing salivation/swallowing issues and issues impacting taste)
7/20/2022 - Erica endured a break-in/robbery while in Jerusalem (break-in occurred at 4:45 am and Erica woke up to see intruder in her room and watched in horror as he stole her belongings)
8/22/2023 - Lila's accident (see below)
9/1/2023 - RV fire (see below)
As strange as it feels to ask for anything, many friends and colleagues have reached out to see how they can help, suggesting that I set up a GoFundMe page. Without knowing exactly how long we will be without a home, where we will live, what we will need, and what news from any of these fronts might come next, we figured this would be the easiest and best way for those who care about us to help. My favorite quote is, "Everything will be alright in the end. If it isn't alright. It isn't the end." Thank you, in advance, for your support, love, and concern.
With appreciation,
Erica (and the whole Hruby family)
Yesterday (8/22/2023) was a really hard day for Lila Hruby. Without an understanding of what actually occurred, Lila collided with a median and a car in her work golf cart. She was driving a golf cart to pick up a student for a coffee date. (according to video) She made a turn at the light and (we are wondering if) the steering locked up or something because she made a full circle, hopped a 6’ wide median, caught air, and ended up hitting a car back in the road. We don’t think she was ejected, but she ended up in the road and was almost hit by a car. She has no memory of anything. Both the golf cart and the car were so damaged that they had to be towed from the scene.
Lila initially lost access to memories from the last week or so, but through the night has gained some memories back. She has no recollection of the accident or large swaths of time before and after the event. The doctors diagnosed her with a concussion which caused retrograde amnesia.
Additionally, Lila broke her scapula significantly and we are waiting for surgery to be scheduled. They have to make sure that her brain is well enough to go under anesthesia first. She is cut and bruised up and down her legs, hands, and arms.
One of the most frightening and maddening parts of this whole incident is that she was looked over by paramedics and released/cleared medically at the scene…even though she was showing memory loss and had a broken shoulder blade. They didn’t detect either issue.
Once Lila returned to her office, I spoke with her and could tell that something was really wrong with her processing. She was also complaining about her shoulder hurting, but that seemed secondary at the time. I immediately sent Zipporah to go get her and take her to the emergency room, but her caring co-workers got her in the car and quickly met Zipporah at the ER. Matt and I rushed to Orlando to be with Lila. Now we are figuring out next steps.
We are praying for her full recovery, but the road is looking long right now. Please send your healing energy her way.
Update (8/23/2023):
First, thank you to everyone who has reached out and sent love and support. Lila loved seeing it all. It lifted her/all of our spirits.
Lila was discharged from the hospital about an hour ago. Her head is doing really well, but she still has no real recollection of Tuesday. It is very upsetting to her that she doesn’t remember.
We are hoping to get an orthopedic appointment on Friday and then schedule her surgery from there.
Here are photos of her shoulder blade.
(First- View from back) Everything black is broken. The bone should be all white, attached, and not sharp. The fractures are about 3/4” wide.
(Second - Shoulder looking head on in the shoulder joint) This should be whole, not split in two. This is where the large arm bone connects in the shoulder.
The socket is their biggest concern because the socket will forever be compromised. We will do everything we can to get her back to 100%.
8/23/2023-8/24/2023
Lila is a real trooper. She is pushing through the extreme discomfort and doing her very best to stay positive.
Lila needs help doing almost everything, especially because she is right handed. She describes her shoulder blade as feeling like it is just loose in her back. She has been doing as much as she can with her left hand though. We are super proud of her!
The good news is that Lila’s surgery is officially scheduled for this Tuesday, time TBD. They will be doing a full scapula/shoulder-joint repair. She will have a significant scar on her back and lots of metal (plates and bolts) inside. The doctor is anticipating a 2-3 hour surgery plus pre and post op time. He mentioned that a good amount of blood loss can also occur in this type of extensive surgery, so he will be fully prepared to deal with that issue if need be. He anticipates outpatient surgery, but she would be admitted if need be.
Here are a few photos from the last day or two. Thank you again for all of the love and well wishes.
8/29/2023
Waiting in pre-op for Lila's surgery this morning. Hopefully she’ll go back soon. She is in pretty good spirits this morning. Just ready to get it done with and get back to the full life she was living and loving in Orlando!
SURGERY UPDATE: (8/29/2023)
Lila didn’t end up going into surgery until almost noon. We met with the doctor around 3:45 pm. They were still stitching her up at that time. He said that she did great, but that it was a big surgery. There was no unexpected blood loss or complications. BH!
He said that she has 5 metal plates and 25-30 screws. He said the scar on her back is (not intentionally) in the shape of an "L." She has another hour or so in recovery. We will decide in a bit whether to stay overnight or bring her home. It is already late, so I'm thinking we should stay.
He said that she is going to be extremely uncomfortable for 2-3 days, so keep her well medicated and resting.
She has to keep the incision dry and covered until her follow-up appointment in about 2 weeks. She will also keep it still and in a sling until that appointment.
After that, she will be able to start moving it and begin start PT. He said that it will be challenging to move and very uncomfortable for a while. He estimates PT being at least 2x/week for 3 months.
I think that is all for now. Praying for a speedy and full recovery!
(Update at 11:15 pm) Lila’s pain was too intense to go home, so she was admitted into the hospital. We are working with the doctors to get/keep her pain under control. It is all really hard right now. 
She is being a rock star.
She is being a rock star.Update (8/29/2023-8/30/2023):
In total the surgery was almost 4 hours (we were initially told 2-3). Lila did great, but the pain was unbearable. Around 7:15 pm, after having another round of multiple IV pain meds, she was admitted to the hospital. There is no way that we could have controlled her pain at home. They did a great job keeping her comfortable over night and she was even able to get up twice to use the bathroom. Lila is (drugged and) resting comfortably this morning. She should be discharged today.
A physician from her ortho group stopped by this morning to check on Lila. She told us that her break was quite thrilling for the practice because they rarely get the opportunity to repair a scapula. She said that it has been 2.5 years since she has seen a scapula repair. The OT said the same thing. Glad she could provide some professional excitement for them. Hahaha!
Lila has to essentially immobilize her arm for 2 weeks until her post-op follow up appointment. After that, she will begin PT. At least the road to recovery has begun!
Enjoy the photos of Lila's scar outline and new jewelry (thanks to x-ray technology). Thank you all again for all of your love, care, and support!
Life Update...not sure what is happening! (9/1/2023)
First, Lila has made it over the hump. I haven’t posted anything about her since returning home because it has been hugely challenging. It was mostly no sleep, lots of pain and discomfort, and sadness/longing for what life used to be. Now that the pain is under control (not gone, but way better) and she is starting to be herself again. She is trying to do things on her own, but with only the use of her non- dominant hand/arm, it is rough. We’ve been trying to get out once a day for her body and mind. Lila goes for her two week post-op appointment on September 12th. We'll learn about next steps after that. That was the good part…keep reading below.
Life Update Continued (9/2/2023)
Last night around 9:15 pm (while Zipporah and I were showering Lila) Matt called to tell me that the RV caught on fire. After work, he went home to shower and then grabbed a quick bite with a co-worker. He was gone for about 2 hours. When he got home and opened the RV, he was greeted with smoke and the smell of an electrical fire. He went in and found the smoke coming from the pantry. Without the source of the smoke being visible, he immediately called 911, fully expecting for it to go up in flames before they arrived. As the fire trucks arrived, the fire lit. They were able to find the source (the electrical cord) and extinguish the fire about a minute before the whole RV would have gone up in flames. RVs are basically match boxes.
I am leaving Lila with Zipporah now to go home and help Matt figure out what is salvageable (from smoke damage) and then figure out what to do next with our home. Aside from fire and smoke damage, since the electrical system is destroyed, the RV is uninhabitable.
I’m not exactly sure what all of this means, but it’s not good. 
9/4/2023
Lila is over the hump!!!! She has been off the hardcore drugs since Friday and she is now rotating Motrin and Tylenol every 5 hours. She isn’t sleeping amazingly well, but better than before. She still needs help with (basically) everything, but she is turning into a decent lefty!
We had to do some blister care today (we think from extended surgery), so we changed her dressing. Aside from being really large and pretty icky, her wound looks AMAZING! It looks like she has 40+/- stitches. We got it all bandaged up and ready for another week of healing.
9/5/2023
I went to Dunedin on Sunday to get my belongings and day-to-day things that will need for the undetermined future. There is no power, so no air, no lights, not fans, etc. The RV smelled horrible! I describe it as Pirates of the Caribbean, but not in a good way. Like the smell of a city on fire. :( While the damaged area looks relatively small, the damage is significant. From what is visible, the fire destroyed the power cord and inside power connection and the inside of the pantry. What we can't see is what damage it did within the wire system and behind the walls including the backroom wall that was in the same area. Everything smells, our clothes and our things. None of our personal belongings were destroyed, so we have to figure out how to get the horrid smell out of it all.
I returned to Orlando to resume care of Lila Sunday evening. Matt stayed back in Dunedin to continue packing everything up. The RV has to be completely emptied of our belongings. Based on the speed with which RVs are repaired these days (and not actually knowing the extent of the repair), we could be without a home for 4+ months. Since the RV will be gone, we will also have to give up our awesome spot in the RV park and get rid of things that we don't need immediately.
The RV was only 8 months old, so some of this should be under warranty. We also had insurance, but we don't know exactly what will be covered. What we do know is that housing, storage, and everything related to the in-between period is NOT covered. We'll find out more as Matt continues to make calls to figure out what our next steps will be.
And, since we don't have a home to live in anymore in Dunedin, we will be moving to Orlando for the time being. Initially with the girls, and then finding somewhere else to live. As such, Matt will have to quit his job (since he doesn't work remotely) as well...there's that too!
(9/8/2023) The Hruby family is back together again in Orlando for now. Without a home to live in in Dunedin for 2-4 months and with Lila being unable to live on her own right now, it makes the most sense that we live nearby each other. For the next week or two, we will live with the girls, but we will figure out a new plan once Lila can take care of herself more. Since I work remotely, these events thankfully haven't impacted my work in any significant way. Matt, on the other hand, had to quit his job because it doesn't make sense for him to drive 2+ hours each way for work.
Lila is recovering really well. She is back to sleeping all night in her own bed (with her mom...hahaha). She is going longer periods of time without taking medicine and is trying to do as much as she can for herself. Lila isn't allowed to move her arm yet, but hopefully she will be able to start moving it more after the stitches come out on Tuesday. It has been nearly 3 weeks since she moved it last, so that on top of the surgery is going to be challenging to say the least. Her hand has really been bothering her, so we'll see what they say about her hand as well. She can make a fist, but can't hold anything or withstand any pressure. Hopefully she can begin PT soon, so she can get back to herself again. Lila still has no memory of the accident, or basically the whole day of the accident. She remembers leaving work around 8:45 am, and then has no memory until around 11:30 pm that night. At this point, it is probably for the best. We have been walking in the mornings and this week did one 5 mile trek in Winter Park. The scenery is beautiful, so that helps!
Matt spent the last few days, in the heat, emptying the RV of all of our belongings and putting them into storage. He has also been dealing with our insurance and the RV manufacturer to figure out next steps. We are pushing to have the repairs done at the factory (in Indiana), as opposed to a local RV store, so the repairs can be done as quickly and complete as possible. We are looking at at least 2 months for the repairs from the time they get the RV to the factory. If they can guarantee it back to us in two months, we will continue to pay for the RV and our RV site (the site is $900/month) on top of what we have to rent. If the time table is beyond that, we will have to give up our RV site and find something else when we get the RV back...that will be the worst since we've been at our site for over 4 years now and it is awesome.
It is all still a mess, but we at least things are moving forward. We are keeping a positive and hopeful attitude as we navigate this phase of our lives. Thank you again for all of your love, care, and support. For those who have asked what you can do, you are welcome to send a small donation to our crowdfunding page. Thank you to everyone who has donated already! Every little bit will help in the end.
Lila is recovering really well. She is back to sleeping all night in her own bed (with her mom...hahaha). She is going longer periods of time without taking medicine and is trying to do as much as she can for herself. Lila isn't allowed to move her arm yet, but hopefully she will be able to start moving it more after the stitches come out on Tuesday. It has been nearly 3 weeks since she moved it last, so that on top of the surgery is going to be challenging to say the least. Her hand has really been bothering her, so we'll see what they say about her hand as well. She can make a fist, but can't hold anything or withstand any pressure. Hopefully she can begin PT soon, so she can get back to herself again. Lila still has no memory of the accident, or basically the whole day of the accident. She remembers leaving work around 8:45 am, and then has no memory until around 11:30 pm that night. At this point, it is probably for the best. We have been walking in the mornings and this week did one 5 mile trek in Winter Park. The scenery is beautiful, so that helps!
Matt spent the last few days, in the heat, emptying the RV of all of our belongings and putting them into storage. He has also been dealing with our insurance and the RV manufacturer to figure out next steps. We are pushing to have the repairs done at the factory (in Indiana), as opposed to a local RV store, so the repairs can be done as quickly and complete as possible. We are looking at at least 2 months for the repairs from the time they get the RV to the factory. If they can guarantee it back to us in two months, we will continue to pay for the RV and our RV site (the site is $900/month) on top of what we have to rent. If the time table is beyond that, we will have to give up our RV site and find something else when we get the RV back...that will be the worst since we've been at our site for over 4 years now and it is awesome.
It is all still a mess, but we at least things are moving forward. We are keeping a positive and hopeful attitude as we navigate this phase of our lives. Thank you again for all of your love, care, and support. For those who have asked what you can do, you are welcome to send a small donation to our crowdfunding page. Thank you to everyone who has donated already! Every little bit will help in the end.
Post-op Update (9/12/2023):
Lila had her 2-week post-op appointment this morning. She is healing beautifully. She clearly has a high pain threshold because she didn’t even wince once during the removal of her 34 stitches.
She’s still got a long road ahead, but she is doing amazingly well every step of the way. There is not much difference in terms of what she can do, but she is using her right hand a little more and she can move her arm at the elbow. Here’s where she is at now:
- No work for at least 6 weeks
- Physical therapy should start in 4 weeks (giving her bones more time to heal); still anticipate at least 3 months of PT
- She is not to use her shoulder for about 4 more weeks (only pendulum movements - dangling and swinging with gravity)
- Her sling is optional, more protective than anything
- Her incision is to stay uncovered so it will continue to heal
- She can now shower and wash the area as regular
- No ointments or vitamin E for 2 weeks
That’s where she is at. Full healing steam ahead!
Here's what's been happening since last time (9/20/2023)
(This is what BRAVERY looks like!) Believe it or not, yesterday was Lila Hruby's one month anniversary since her accident. All things considered, she is doing really well. Out of necessity, she has figured out how to accomplish a lot of what she needs to do day-to-day with her left hand/arm. She has figured out how to shower herself, brush her hair, and yesterday she figured out how to apply a little bit of mascara...all with her non-dominant hand/arm.
She wore her hair down for the first time yesterday too. Among many other things, she can't cut her own food or open plastic water bottles, but that's what her family is for right now! Lila's scar is healing nicely. The most common question Lila is asked when we are out is if it was a shark bite (enjoy Matt's .5 picture)!
As for the RV, it is still sitting on our lot in Dunedin waiting for approval to have it picked up and towed to Indiana. Everything is a process. It is now 18 days since the fire and nothing has even been looked at yet. Ug! Once it gets to the factory, it will have to be inspected and then we will get a realistic repair quote/time frame. Patience, I guess, is the name of the game we are playing right now.
She wore her hair down for the first time yesterday too. Among many other things, she can't cut her own food or open plastic water bottles, but that's what her family is for right now! Lila's scar is healing nicely. The most common question Lila is asked when we are out is if it was a shark bite (enjoy Matt's .5 picture)!
As for the RV, it is still sitting on our lot in Dunedin waiting for approval to have it picked up and towed to Indiana. Everything is a process. It is now 18 days since the fire and nothing has even been looked at yet. Ug! Once it gets to the factory, it will have to be inspected and then we will get a realistic repair quote/time frame. Patience, I guess, is the name of the game we are playing right now.
9/29/2023
Lots of great news for the Hruby family this past week. The RV was picked up Sunday and arrived in Indiana safely. We will hopefully get a realistic repair time estimate in the coming days. Lila got her initial PT appointment scheduled for Monday, October 9th. Her first appointment will be for an hour and they will assess her and then map out a plan. Initially it will be focused on mobility and then strength.
And, the most interesting thing that happened this week was the start of a new educational consulting role with Jewish Bahamas in Nassau (yep, you heard that right!). This role includes extended visits to the Bahamas to work alongside the Rabbi and Jewish Bahamian families to support their Jewish education and enrichment. I have a lovely beach-front condo to stay in during my time on the island, which is more than I have in the U.S. right now. 
Since Lila is on hiatus right now, she came with me for my first visit. I’ve been working during the day and she’s been soaking in the sun and recuperating. In the evening, we’ve been exploring the island and even went to a movie last night. Below are a few photos and a video of the view outside the condo. We are 5 minutes from the Baha Mar and we can see The Atlantis from our “backyard.” Matt is on his way down to spend the week here and travel back with Lila for her PT appointment.
Thank you all again for your incredible love and support. We are appreciative of all the positive vibes and generosity we have been shown. 
Some people say fantasy is stranger than reality, but right now it might not be! Who is coming to visit first?!?!
PT has Finally Begun! 10/9/2023
Nearly 7 weeks after her accident and 6 weeks post surgery, Lila began physical therapy today! She was a powerhouse, pushing through each activity with her alll, making sure that she won’t be taken down for the count.
She is beginning with PT twice a week, and then will move to three times a week as she is able. Now the focus is movement, later comes strength. We are all so proud of Lila for her patience, strength, and mental fortitude. She’s got this!
