Phase 1: $50,000 Support Jason's Emergency Medical Move
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We Were Electrocuted
On May 18, Jason Lauve's life changed in an instant. A severe electrocution left him with devastating injuries to both arms and hands, affecting his ability to perform even basic everyday activities.
Today, Jason faces a difficult road ahead. He needs specialized medical attention, neurological evaluation, rehabilitation, and assistance getting from his current location in Hawai’i back to Colorado, where he has a better opportunity to access the care he needs.
We are raising $50,000 to help make that possible. Every contribution will help remove financial barriers between Jason and the medical care, support, and rehabilitation he needs.
What Happened?
90 Second Video:
3 Minute Video:
On May 18th, Jason went to make lunch in a shared kitchen on the property he lives on. He grabbed onto the refrigerator to pick up items he dropped. As he bent down, he grabbed the dishwasher next to it. Electricity surged from his left hand, across his chest, and down his right hand.
No one knows how long he stared at his right hand in confusion, wondering why he couldn’t let go.
I, Sabrina, walked into the kitchen and found him. Not knowing what was going on, only that he needed help, I went to grab him. I thought maybe he was perhaps feeling faint. He was then able to let go, but he went completely stiff and fell against me. We both fell to the floor. I suspect I hit my head, as I am missing memories.
Jason has sustained extensive, life-altering injuries to his hands and arms that his doctor is telling him are permanent. The physical trauma is significant, and the road to partial recovery is expected to be long and challenging.
Currently, Jason is living on a remote island that lacks the specialized neurological care he desperately needs. This means his best option for treatment and recovery is to get him back to Colorado. He has spent months living in excruciating pain without answers.
More Trauma:
Jason had moved to the property where the electrocution took place to live as a tenant and do work on the land. After the electrocution, Jason and I asked the property owner to call an electrician to review the property and ensure we, the other tenants, and the vacationers were safe. Due to this, she began retaliatory tactics. She immediately attempted to kick Jason off the property and stopped paying him.
All he wanted was to rest.
Instead, the landlord took our food out of the main refrigerator and freezer and put it outside. I had been off the property all day and didn’t find it until around 8pm. This happened twice. We have 4 restraining orders against her. She also shut off utilities, threatened to throw out our laundry, and more.
Without receiving the income he was contracted to receive from the landlord, Jason quickly depleted his savings, and I began taking care of him. I had only known him for 11 days. He had been doing volunteer work in Mexico and knows very few people on the island that we live on. I’ve been driving him to doctor’s appointments, buying and cooking food for him, doing his laundry, cleaning, and other things he can no longer do.
On August 7th, I got laid off. I suspect my injuries played a role in the layoff. I have been supporting 2 people on zero income for 3 months. I thought everything would be fine. I had no idea the hoops we would have to jump through.
What we know about the extent of the damage:
It took months for us to get MRIs, and even that has not been completed for Jason. We have not been able to get the nerve tests we need, so we don’t even know the full extent of the damage. So far, no doctor has been able to help Jason. All he has been given are pain medications, and those only help a little.
He continues to be in severe pain. Every single time he uses his arms or hands for anything, he suffers pain. Whether that's from something as simple as holding a fork to eat, doing his normal computer work, using his phone to communicate, or even just lying down, he is in pain. If his shoulders aren't supported, they pop. There are multiple tears in his shoulders, cysts, nerve irritation, and enlargement. In his elbow, he has a distinct fissure (crack) in the cartilage with bone marrow swelling underneath it.
He has burning, tingling, and shooting pains radiating down the inside of his forearms and into his ring and pinky fingers. The damage has also weakened his grip, making it hard to hold objects or open jars.
The labral tears and the cartilage fissure in the right elbow cause sharp, catching, or clicking sensations during specific movements. The cysts create a deep, constant ache in the back of his shoulder.
There is a “7mm uncharacterized spot in the left forearm.” No doctor in Hawai’i has been able to tell us what that is.
The medical system in Hawai’i has failed.
He's on so many different pharmaceuticals, and nothing is controlling the pain. It's messing with his head. He doesn't sleep. He has trouble eating. He's lost 30 pounds. We're losing our minds. He's not mentally or emotionally stable.
I, Sabrina, have tears in my rotator cuff, tears in my hip, and damage to my elbow and arm. Until we get to a neurologist, it is unclear how much of the electricity is playing a part in why my body is not healing.
We need to get him to Colorado, where there is a neurologist who can help him and where he feels safe away from his abusive landlord.
The $50,000 Goal
To ensure complete transparency, here is exactly how the $50,000 will be prioritized to support his immediate needs:
- Emergency Relocation: Logistical costs and airfare to move Jason safely from Hawai’i to Colorado.
- Temporary Housing and Transportation: Safe accommodations and transportation to medical facilities.
- Medical Consultations and Treatment: Coverage for immediate out-of-pocket medical expenses while insurance approvals are pending.
- In-Home Caregiving: Necessary daily assistance since he cannot independently use his hands or arms.
- Rehabilitation and Assistive Equipment: Occupational and physical therapy, plus necessary medical devices. (Longer-term goals, such as a service dog or robotic arm devices, will be evaluated in future phases).
- Basic Living Expenses: Essential support while Jason is unable to work during his recovery.
Who Jason Is
Many know Jason Lauve as "Mr. Hemp," a longtime cannabis and hemp freedom advocate whose work helped advance landmark legal and legislative victories in Colorado. His advocacy includes a historic cannabis trial victory in 2009 and major contributions to hemp legislation in 2012 and 2013. He has spent decades fighting for individual freedoms, access to medicine, and the rights of others.
The man who has fought so hard for others' freedom and healing now needs us to fight alongside him.
A Message From Jason:
Thank you for reading this. I’m normally the one who helps others, and this has taught me that I am uncomfortable asking for help myself. I am also realizing that I cannot do this on my own.
It’s been months, and instead of healing, I feel like I’m getting worse. I feel every part of my shoulders, arms, and hands, all the way down to my fingertips. It feels like I have a sunburn on the inside of my arms and cables cutting my wrists. I have random pops and sharp, stabbing pains that come out of nowhere. Few understand electricity. I have learned that getting electrocuted is worse than getting struck by lightning. I don’t know how long I was attached to the appliances. What I have learned is that while that was happening, the electricity forced every single muscle in my upper body to contract simultaneously, 60 times a second, without breaks.
This has been the most continuously painful experience of my life, and at the same time, I still remain hopeful (on my good days anyway). What keeps me going is the thought of seeing my friends in Colorado and getting proper medical care. I remain faithful that there is a chance of my body healing.
We need your help:
If you can contribute $10, $25, $50, or whatever you're comfortable giving, your support will help move him closer to the specialized medical care and rehabilitation he needs.
Please also share this campaign with your friends, family, and networks. A single share could connect Jason with someone who can make a meaningful difference.
Let’s make the video viral!
We all know that social media is the most powerful tool for connecting people today. Please help raise awareness by sharing this video link widely:
3-minute video:
Every contribution, every connection, and every share matters.
Thank you for helping Jason take the next step toward recovery.
With immense gratitude and love,
Jason Lauve, Sabrina Moani & Jason's Support Team
If you want to see part of the longer interview with Jason, here is another video:
10-minute video:
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