Aid Brandon's Fight for Full Recovery

BRANDON HENNEL FUNDRAISER:

Please help Brandon continue on his road to recovery after a massive sheet of ice launched from atop an 18-wheeler and slammed into his windshield, critically injuring him.

On January 8, 2025, Brandon Hennel was severely injured in a car accident while traveling south on I-83 in York County, PA. A massive sheet of ice flew off the roof of an 18-wheeler heading in the opposite direction on the highway and smashed directly through Brandon’s windshield, causing a direct impact to his head and face. This left his face smashed flat and entirely crushed his orbital (eye) sockets and nasal cavity, leaving him unidentifiable and nearly lifeless in a ball of wreckage on the side of the highway. The tractor trailer that caused this accident has yet to be identified.

Emergency crews raced him to York Hospital and subsequently airlifted him to the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Trauma Unit for the urgent care he needed. His long journey started there, and throughout the next month, Brandon would be subjected to daily battles of survival, including ongoing surgeries and endless struggles to regain his brain function and recover his abilities to see, eat, and drink, as his left eye is still healing. As his vision continues to improve and we endlessly pray for his left eye to fully heal, his vision may never fully recover, and he may need to wear an eye patch indefinitely.

He's a determined graduate of Penn State University Main Campus, and at 24 years of age, his sights were set on attending a Physician Assistant program this year. This tragic accident has temporarily sidelined his educational endeavors but has NOT derailed his thirst for education and giving back, as he values all the urgent care his medical team(s) provided him.

The incredible medical staff of Dr. Samson and his team were able to perform a remarkable 7-hour facial reconstruction surgery, overcoming incredible obstacles and increasing Brandon’s chances of survival threefold. Following an extraordinary month of care at Hershey Medical Center, Brandon was finally able to return home with his family, still bedridden with his mouth wired shut, but able to receive at-home care with the assistance of nurses and help from his family.

Brandon still has a very long road ahead of him for a full recovery. This includes a professional care team to assist with future reconstructive surgeries, ensuring his nasal cavity and jaw are functioning as designed, while also learning how to navigate his surroundings with limited vision. He's finding the strength to overcome these ongoing battles just to get back to normal life... but he is still unsure of what that may look like.

Brandon's family has stated, “With continued prayers, and by the grace of God, we now know that Brandon is truly a warrior. We are beyond grateful for all of the amazing first responders, nurses, doctors, York Hospital, Life Lion crew, Dermatology Associates, and the entire staff at Hershey Medical Center for all they have done to save Brandon’s life. It is only with ALL this amazing support and prayers from friends, loved ones, and perfect strangers that we have been able to come this far.”

We are reaching out to Brandon’s family and friends to extend a helping hand at this time, both through much-needed financial donations, as his medical bills are astronomical, as you can expect; from his helicopter arrival, to his month of care in the trauma unit, to his surgery(ies), and also through raising awareness to others to ensure this type of hazardous highway situation will NOT affect another person or family, as this was an avoidable tragedy and MUST be eliminated in the future.

As Brandon continues down the road to recovery, his face and voice will be spreading across the county working with trucking companies, government agencies and politicians to fight for changes so no other family has to go thru an avoidable accident like this.

Thank you all for your generous donations. We encourage everyone to share this GoFundMe page with others who all love and continue to support Brandon’s journey to full recovery.

Please help us create awareness!

We love you B! God Bless