There’s the story of the lightning strike. And then, there’s what happens after.
Path is the rarest of birds: a teenager who had a stroke. This smart, funny, artsy, adventurous, kind-hearted kid is alive today because of quick-acting public school staff, EMTs and health care workers. A miracle! Then came the slow healing: the coma, ventilator, five surgeries, three months without an enclosed skull (yes, you read that right)…
Through the storm, many pitched in. THANK YOU. Your support went toward a wheelchair-accessible van, neck braces, medical supplies, massage therapy, and more. This bright-eyed 17-year-old is hitting one milestone after another because of you.
It’s been 15 months since lightning struck. Here’s the good news: Path is in school, full-time at a place that combines education with physical and occupational therapies. Thanks to a key medical intervention, her flexibility is improving bigtime: she can (with assistance) do bicep curls! On both sides! And she’s more adept at communicating with her AAC device. That’s huge. We miss her.
This gives us a peek at what’s possible in Path’s long-term recovery. But it’s tough. With limited ability to speak, move, or eat, she needs 24/7 care. Her parents carry that, on top of their jobs and parenting Path’s brother (and four wily pets). Gaps in health insurance coverage mean they’re paying out-of-pocket for pricey daily essentials. And we dream of what progress Path could make in three weeks of full-time rehab this summer — if costs could be covered.
It’s $2,000/day at Mary Free Bed. This is time-sensitive, doctor-recommended rehabilitation, but neither private insurance nor Medicaid will cover it. So: we aim to raise an additional $42,000. (This raises our fundraising goal to $78K)
You can help! No donation is too small. Every bit helps Path.
I’ve seen, too, how it helps her family to feel your support, coming from a community that stretches even further than they could have imagined.
Let’s keep going. Please give. Please share.
Together, we’re fighting for Path’s future.
