Dear Friends-
My brother Cal is an extraordinary person. He's courageous, loving and generous. Cal was born with a rare brittle bone disease, Osteogenesis Imperfecta. Having a more severe type, he not only has fragile bones that break easily but also bone deformities. He's wheelchair bound, has weak muscles and heart. He suffered a heart attack at a young age and also hearing loss at a young age. Cal was born with nearly every bone either broken or fractured, his life expectancy looked bleak.
But now 45, he has beat the odds. Cal has an unmeasurable amount of strength. He's persevered when faced with a lifetime of breaks, 300+ fractures, multiple surgeries and days filled with constant pain. And even while dealing with all the physical & emotional stress that comes with living with a severe disability, Cal has managed to stay positive and remain independent. Cal loves to laugh and always has a smile on his face; he loves life even though life hasn't been very kind to him.
The condition of Cal's wheelchair is suffering as its 10+ years old and his hearing loss has gotten progressively worse, both of which are impacting his life greatly. He's needed hearing aids and a new chair for some time now but as insurance didn't cover these medically necessary items and the out-of-pocket costs were too high, Cal has gone without. Relying on an unsafe chair and not being able to hear socially or communicate effectively with doctors is threatening Cal's independence.
We made the effort to get other insurance coverage but unfortunately insurances don't always provide appropriate coverage levels for someone in Cal's medically unique situation. There is no hearing aid coverage and while a basic wheelchair is now covered it would be made of aluminum which is far heavier than the titanium chair he has now. The heavier chair would limit his active lifestyle and could potentially cause further injuries. As well due to his history of fractures and the deformities in his bones, it's difficult to lift heavy objects. The titanium is lighter and will allow Cal to continue to be able to be independent and go out on his own as he drives and physically lifts his chair in and out of the car on his own.
Please consider helping Cal pay for these out of pocket medically necessary costs. The majority of the donations would go towards Cal being able to hear again. The remaining towards the lighter wheelchair being built. He's just hoping to have some resemblance of a normal life again.
Thank you for reading and taking the time for Cal in his time of need. It warms our hearts that as a community we can come together to help care for the disabled who are less fortunate than we are. Thank you!
