Amputation Recovery
Donation protected
Dear Friends, Family and Community:
We are raising $75,000 in order to take care of Rachel “Rocky” Taylor for a year after her tragic accident in Lombok, Indonesia.
Rachel “Rocky” Taylor
My sister, Rachel, is a uniquely bright light in this world. Her joy, courage and inquisitive spirit have taken her around the world as a disaster relief volunteer, dancer and lover of life. She has a huge heart and spirit for service that draws her to help people in need. Over the last 12 years, she has spent more than 5,000 hours volunteering around the globe: Ecuador, Madagascar, the Philippines, China, Peru, Puerto Rico and all over the US. She loves to dance blues and salsa, laugh with her friends and swim every day of the summer. I’ve always seen her as a bird, wild and free--the most vibrant of spirits.
Ready for a full day volunteering with All Hands and Hearts
What Happened
On September 13, 2018, while helping the people of Lombok, Indonesia recover from a major earthquake, Rachel was in a terrible accident that will affect her for the rest of her life.
Her All Hands and Hearts team was performing demolition on a house when part of the concrete building unexpectedly collapsed, leaving her trapped. She suffered a skull fracture, scapula fracture and severe trauma to her left leg. The entire team was quick to get her free and to the local hospital. After an initial life saving surgery, she was emergency evacuated to Singapore.
Tragically, after two weeks of surgeries it was clear that the damage she sustained was irreparable and her left leg was amputated below the knee. The month she spent at the hospital in Singapore was the hardest time she’s faced in her life. Transition back to the States has also come with it’s own set of challenges. Her Medicaid insurance has been difficult, but finally allowed her to get the continuing care she needs at Harborview Hospital in Seattle.
In the days and weeks after the accident it became clear how many lives she has touched as support flooded in from around the globe, and her community wrestled with heartbreak and relief that her spark is still with us.
Moving Forward
Rachel is thirty-three years old and bravely facing what a completely new life might look like. It’s been a long, hard road so far, and truly we are only at the beginning. There have been many unexpected expenses and we anticipate that to continue for the foreseeable future. Furthermore, Rachel has not been found eligible for disability or unemployment benefits, and does not have disability insurance. She’s also indefinitely unable to return to her work as a stagehand. Her last surgery was mid-November, in the next couple of months she will be fit with a temporary prosthetic, and over the next year and a half she will continue recovering and adapting. Due to the complicated nature of the injury there are challenging unknowns regarding her future mobility limitations.
Seeing her struggling to get out of bed after five weeks in the hospital and vulnerably facing an unknown future hurts my heart. At the same time, while there are still moments of grief and struggle, I am inspired by the strength with which she is embracing life and dreaming of a bright future.
Where You Come In
I want Rachel to know the same love and support that she has shown others all her life while she faces this year of recovery. I want to see her thrive as the fiery, sassy, big-hearted dreamer that so many love, and I need all of you to partner with me in this difficult time and ensure she is able to live a full life: a life of joy and purpose, of dancing, swimming, laughing, traveling and serving others as before. Please consider generously supporting us and spreading her story.
We are hoping to raise enough money to take care of her needs for one year. The money will be used towards:
Housing: $14,000
Food: $3,600
Utilities: $1,800
Counseling: $5,200
Transportation: $7,000
Reliable automatic vehicle/vehicle modification: $7,000
Job retraining: $10,000
Additional medical expenses: $10,000
Prosthetics $5,000 to $50,000
Travel medical expenses: $1,750
Prosthetics over the course of a lifetime: $375,000
If you can't help financially, there are several other ways you can help. Phone calls, driving to doctors appointments, strategic long-term rethinking of career path, filling out applications, outings, joy bringing, words of encouragement, cat pictures, cooking, etc. If you want to help with one of these tasks, please let me know.
Our mother, Melody, will be handling the donations and managing withdrawals on Rachel's behalf.
Warmly,
Olivia Taylor
Rachel and me playing in the snow, November 2017
Rachel leading a team building temporary homes in Ecuador, 2016
We are raising $75,000 in order to take care of Rachel “Rocky” Taylor for a year after her tragic accident in Lombok, Indonesia.
Rachel “Rocky” Taylor
My sister, Rachel, is a uniquely bright light in this world. Her joy, courage and inquisitive spirit have taken her around the world as a disaster relief volunteer, dancer and lover of life. She has a huge heart and spirit for service that draws her to help people in need. Over the last 12 years, she has spent more than 5,000 hours volunteering around the globe: Ecuador, Madagascar, the Philippines, China, Peru, Puerto Rico and all over the US. She loves to dance blues and salsa, laugh with her friends and swim every day of the summer. I’ve always seen her as a bird, wild and free--the most vibrant of spirits.
Ready for a full day volunteering with All Hands and HeartsWhat Happened
On September 13, 2018, while helping the people of Lombok, Indonesia recover from a major earthquake, Rachel was in a terrible accident that will affect her for the rest of her life.
Her All Hands and Hearts team was performing demolition on a house when part of the concrete building unexpectedly collapsed, leaving her trapped. She suffered a skull fracture, scapula fracture and severe trauma to her left leg. The entire team was quick to get her free and to the local hospital. After an initial life saving surgery, she was emergency evacuated to Singapore.
Tragically, after two weeks of surgeries it was clear that the damage she sustained was irreparable and her left leg was amputated below the knee. The month she spent at the hospital in Singapore was the hardest time she’s faced in her life. Transition back to the States has also come with it’s own set of challenges. Her Medicaid insurance has been difficult, but finally allowed her to get the continuing care she needs at Harborview Hospital in Seattle.
In the days and weeks after the accident it became clear how many lives she has touched as support flooded in from around the globe, and her community wrestled with heartbreak and relief that her spark is still with us.
Moving Forward
Rachel is thirty-three years old and bravely facing what a completely new life might look like. It’s been a long, hard road so far, and truly we are only at the beginning. There have been many unexpected expenses and we anticipate that to continue for the foreseeable future. Furthermore, Rachel has not been found eligible for disability or unemployment benefits, and does not have disability insurance. She’s also indefinitely unable to return to her work as a stagehand. Her last surgery was mid-November, in the next couple of months she will be fit with a temporary prosthetic, and over the next year and a half she will continue recovering and adapting. Due to the complicated nature of the injury there are challenging unknowns regarding her future mobility limitations.
Seeing her struggling to get out of bed after five weeks in the hospital and vulnerably facing an unknown future hurts my heart. At the same time, while there are still moments of grief and struggle, I am inspired by the strength with which she is embracing life and dreaming of a bright future.
Where You Come In
I want Rachel to know the same love and support that she has shown others all her life while she faces this year of recovery. I want to see her thrive as the fiery, sassy, big-hearted dreamer that so many love, and I need all of you to partner with me in this difficult time and ensure she is able to live a full life: a life of joy and purpose, of dancing, swimming, laughing, traveling and serving others as before. Please consider generously supporting us and spreading her story.
We are hoping to raise enough money to take care of her needs for one year. The money will be used towards:
Housing: $14,000
Food: $3,600
Utilities: $1,800
Counseling: $5,200
Transportation: $7,000
Reliable automatic vehicle/vehicle modification: $7,000
Job retraining: $10,000
Additional medical expenses: $10,000
Prosthetics $5,000 to $50,000
Travel medical expenses: $1,750
Prosthetics over the course of a lifetime: $375,000
If you can't help financially, there are several other ways you can help. Phone calls, driving to doctors appointments, strategic long-term rethinking of career path, filling out applications, outings, joy bringing, words of encouragement, cat pictures, cooking, etc. If you want to help with one of these tasks, please let me know.
Our mother, Melody, will be handling the donations and managing withdrawals on Rachel's behalf.
Warmly,
Olivia Taylor
Rachel and me playing in the snow, November 2017Rachel leading a team building temporary homes in Ecuador, 2016
Organizer and beneficiary
Olivia Taylor
Organizer
Olympia, WA
Melody Taylor
Beneficiary