Alex’s Recovery
Donation protected
Hi everyone, as many of our family and friends know, our son Alex was involved in a horrific car accident on 30th March this year where he obtained severe life threatening injuries. At the accident the ambulance officers worked on him for three hours to stabilise him enough to airlift him to the Alfred ICU. They didn’t think Alex would live through this but he did and that’s a miracle in itself which we are so very, very grateful.
Unfortunately it has come to a time where I am starting to stress out about wether we will be able to sustain our ever increasing expenses in travelling to and from the hospital in order to be there and support Alex with his recovery, as we are getting very close to the capped amount from the TAC insurance, the funds have almost depleted.
Alex’s injuries-
-Alex obtained a severe brain injury; damage to brain from trauma, swelling and brain bleeds.
-He had several broken bones including ribs, collar bone, shoulder blade, humorous, eye socket, face and skull.
-He had a ruptured diaphragm, and collapsed lungs.
-He has full thickness burns to both legs all the way around from just above knees down to his feet, which he had skin grafts on and will be having more as some haven’t healed or taken.
-He was placed in an induced coma for a couple of weeks before slowly waking him up.
-At present he is in PTA : Post Traumatic Amnesia - he has short term and long term memory issues as well as confabulation at the moment.
-Once Alex is out of PTA and his grafts has taken well and managed, he will start rehabilitation at Caulfield ABI rehabilitation unit to enable him to return home and be as independent as possible.
-the extent of deficits that Alex will have due to his brain injury is still unknown at this stage and will take a long slow process to heal if at all.
What we need
I’m not usually one to ask for help in any form, especially not financially, but the funds allocated for travel and accomodation from the TAC insurance for family will very soon be reached (to the capped limit) and when the funds run out we will have to cover these costs ourselves which we really can’t afford.
It has been difficult financially as I had unpaid leave from work the first 8 weeks after the accident and TAC insurance doesn’t cover family loss of earnings.
I have now returned to work but have reduced my working hours from full time to three days, sometimes working less as there are times when I am needed at the hospital for Alex and sometimes I’m just too exhausted.
Our travelling expenses have increased as I am travelling to and from the hospital about 6 days of the week - in the last ten weeks I have clocked up over 7000km on my car. It takes just under two hours each way (without traffic). Our e-tag account has also been expensive, something we rarely use normally and since the accident we have paid over $400 in Citi link - e-tag fees.
Our food expenses have increased as I’m away from home more and having to buy meals out as cheap overnight hotel rooms don’t always have reheating facilities and the distance travelling isn’t exactly good for safe food. TAC insurance doesn’t cover these meals.
Alex is still in hospital and will be for quite some time and he hasn’t even started full rehabilitation yet. Alex will need more support from his family and friends through his rehabilitation to give him the motivation to keep going and reach goals.
I’m asking for your help financially, my wages have reduced, and unfortunately expenses have increased and will increase even more when the TAC funds limit is reached which will be very soon.
I am sad that it has come to this. I thought we would be fine financially. I am embarrassed to ask for money but if I want to support Alex I have to swallow my pride and do this. I’m hoping that you can help even if it’s just a small amount, or at least share this GoFundMe campaign so that others in your community and circle of friends and family can have the opportunity to help.
Where the money will go.
The amount I am asking may seem a lot to some but it really isn’t as in 11 weeks we have gone through almost $9000 just in accomodation and travel expenses, this did not include any meals and none of my loss of earnings in previous weeks and the coming weeks.
The money will be put towards the following to enable us to be there for Alex as much as possible.
-Travel expenses such as fuel, e-tag top ups.
-Overnight Accomodation in cheap hotels.
-Meals for overnight stays where taking our own food is not feasible.
-Bills that our decreased income won’t cover.
Unfortunately it has come to a time where I am starting to stress out about wether we will be able to sustain our ever increasing expenses in travelling to and from the hospital in order to be there and support Alex with his recovery, as we are getting very close to the capped amount from the TAC insurance, the funds have almost depleted.
Alex’s injuries-
-Alex obtained a severe brain injury; damage to brain from trauma, swelling and brain bleeds.
-He had several broken bones including ribs, collar bone, shoulder blade, humorous, eye socket, face and skull.
-He had a ruptured diaphragm, and collapsed lungs.
-He has full thickness burns to both legs all the way around from just above knees down to his feet, which he had skin grafts on and will be having more as some haven’t healed or taken.
-He was placed in an induced coma for a couple of weeks before slowly waking him up.
-At present he is in PTA : Post Traumatic Amnesia - he has short term and long term memory issues as well as confabulation at the moment.
-Once Alex is out of PTA and his grafts has taken well and managed, he will start rehabilitation at Caulfield ABI rehabilitation unit to enable him to return home and be as independent as possible.
-the extent of deficits that Alex will have due to his brain injury is still unknown at this stage and will take a long slow process to heal if at all.
What we need
I’m not usually one to ask for help in any form, especially not financially, but the funds allocated for travel and accomodation from the TAC insurance for family will very soon be reached (to the capped limit) and when the funds run out we will have to cover these costs ourselves which we really can’t afford.
It has been difficult financially as I had unpaid leave from work the first 8 weeks after the accident and TAC insurance doesn’t cover family loss of earnings.
I have now returned to work but have reduced my working hours from full time to three days, sometimes working less as there are times when I am needed at the hospital for Alex and sometimes I’m just too exhausted.
Our travelling expenses have increased as I am travelling to and from the hospital about 6 days of the week - in the last ten weeks I have clocked up over 7000km on my car. It takes just under two hours each way (without traffic). Our e-tag account has also been expensive, something we rarely use normally and since the accident we have paid over $400 in Citi link - e-tag fees.
Our food expenses have increased as I’m away from home more and having to buy meals out as cheap overnight hotel rooms don’t always have reheating facilities and the distance travelling isn’t exactly good for safe food. TAC insurance doesn’t cover these meals.
Alex is still in hospital and will be for quite some time and he hasn’t even started full rehabilitation yet. Alex will need more support from his family and friends through his rehabilitation to give him the motivation to keep going and reach goals.
I’m asking for your help financially, my wages have reduced, and unfortunately expenses have increased and will increase even more when the TAC funds limit is reached which will be very soon.
I am sad that it has come to this. I thought we would be fine financially. I am embarrassed to ask for money but if I want to support Alex I have to swallow my pride and do this. I’m hoping that you can help even if it’s just a small amount, or at least share this GoFundMe campaign so that others in your community and circle of friends and family can have the opportunity to help.
Where the money will go.
The amount I am asking may seem a lot to some but it really isn’t as in 11 weeks we have gone through almost $9000 just in accomodation and travel expenses, this did not include any meals and none of my loss of earnings in previous weeks and the coming weeks.
The money will be put towards the following to enable us to be there for Alex as much as possible.
-Travel expenses such as fuel, e-tag top ups.
-Overnight Accomodation in cheap hotels.
-Meals for overnight stays where taking our own food is not feasible.
-Bills that our decreased income won’t cover.
Organizer
Stephanie Raybould
Organizer
Tylden South VIC
