Alex Showerman's Spine Surgery
Donation protected
On Friday, July 19, 2019 Alex Showerman was riding his mountain bike when he had the type of accident than any one of use could have - he landed a jump, his hand slipped off his handlebar and he momentarily lost control of the bike. He was thrown over the bars when the wheel twisted and then hit a tree with the top of his helmeted head.
While he was able to walk out, he immediately noticed some sharp pain between his shoulder blades. The emergency room doctors would later tell him that he had compression fractured his cervical and thoracic spine (neck and upper back), specifically in the C7 and T1 vertebrae area, requiring surgery to go in and fuse those two vertebrae together using a small metal plate.
Alex doesn't have health insurance and this trip to the hospital is going to cost him quite a bit of money between emergency room time, overnight stays (he'll spend a total of about a week at UVM Med Center), X-rays and scans, surgery (this is the big one), and physical therapy, as well as ongoing medical care following his release from the hospital - it's a lot.
As a member of the Waterbury Area Trail Alliance (WATA) board of directors, Alex has given a lot of his time, expertise, and energy, to the local trail community. Helping him out in his time of need would be good karma.
Potential Expenses: $20-30K
(depending on length of hospital stay and surgery costs)
Need: $7,500
(this will help cover initial expenses and out of pocket costs)
Urgency: Bills will start rolling in starting August. Putting this funding in Alex's hands by August 15th will really help him out.
What Else Can I Do?:
In addition to funding, Alex is going to have a lot healing to do. We're specifically looking for:
- A stationary recumbent bike (to help him get some exercise with a broken neck)
- Yard work help (mowing the lawn at his house)
- Dog care (Alex and his girlfriend Amanda have a great dog, Gus, who loves to go for walks/runs - it would be great to help Amanda out with Gus care, too!)
While he was able to walk out, he immediately noticed some sharp pain between his shoulder blades. The emergency room doctors would later tell him that he had compression fractured his cervical and thoracic spine (neck and upper back), specifically in the C7 and T1 vertebrae area, requiring surgery to go in and fuse those two vertebrae together using a small metal plate.
Alex doesn't have health insurance and this trip to the hospital is going to cost him quite a bit of money between emergency room time, overnight stays (he'll spend a total of about a week at UVM Med Center), X-rays and scans, surgery (this is the big one), and physical therapy, as well as ongoing medical care following his release from the hospital - it's a lot.
As a member of the Waterbury Area Trail Alliance (WATA) board of directors, Alex has given a lot of his time, expertise, and energy, to the local trail community. Helping him out in his time of need would be good karma.
Potential Expenses: $20-30K
(depending on length of hospital stay and surgery costs)
Need: $7,500
(this will help cover initial expenses and out of pocket costs)
Urgency: Bills will start rolling in starting August. Putting this funding in Alex's hands by August 15th will really help him out.
What Else Can I Do?:
In addition to funding, Alex is going to have a lot healing to do. We're specifically looking for:
- A stationary recumbent bike (to help him get some exercise with a broken neck)
- Yard work help (mowing the lawn at his house)
- Dog care (Alex and his girlfriend Amanda have a great dog, Gus, who loves to go for walks/runs - it would be great to help Amanda out with Gus care, too!)
Co-organizers (2)
Dana Allen
Organizer
Waterbury, VT
Alex Showerman
Beneficiary
Amanda McKay
Co-organizer