Help Hai Nguyen Battle with Spinal Cord Injury

This GoFundMe account is for our beloved family member Hai Nguyen as he recovers from a recent spinal cord injury.

Hai zooming with his daughter, Cameron. 

Hai and and his wife, Thai  in Cancun and  Hai celebrating his 53rd birthday.

The Nguyens attending a wedding.

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Earlier this year, we went on a family trip to Mexico. It was something we had all been looking forward to, as a way to bring our family even closer together and to start a new, greater year. Hai especially was excited – as a doting father to two teenage daughters, he knew his time with them would be limited as they head off to college in the next year or so. This trip was extra special to him and his wife of 21 years.

But on January 3, 2021 a frightening accident took place that changed our lives as we knew it.

It was a beautiful day. A few of us, including Hai, went for a swim in the ocean. Within seconds of being in the water, a strong wave rushed over him and the impact left him paralyzed from the neck down. It was terrifying to see him completely taken over by the waves.

He was quickly transported to an ICU in Mexico then airlifted back to Memorial Hermann Hospital’s Trauma Unit in Houston, Texas. There, he underwent an extensive surgery - fusion and compression on his C4-T1 – to stabilize on his neck, and remained in intensive care for three weeks.

Today, Hai is a quadriplegic. But that is not all.

As Hai transitions to rehabilitation, he, along with our family, face a large, long uphill battle. In what feels like one setback after the next, the rehabilitation facility is no longer permitting in-person visitors, due to the pandemic. Hai is all alone to fight this battle and desperately wants to see his daughters, wife and extended family members. 
 
What’s more, while Hai has health insurance, we know it will not cover all his medical expenses, and the cost of long term rehabilitation and home care. In fact, according to the Christopher Reeve Foundation, the average cost of living with a spinal cord injury in the first year is a staggering $347,484. And every subsequent year$42,206.
 
We are doing the best we can to help Hai’s wife, but we need your help. This terrible accident has rendered one of the kindest, most loyal and determined man dependent on therapy and caregivers, and left his family in a financial situation no one expected.

Your donations would help sustain our ability to cover the costs for:
 
-Medical and caregivers expenses,
-Long term rehabilitation, including Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy,
-Medical equipment, such as patient lift sling, wheelchair ,restorative therapy machine
braces, orthoses and more,
-ADA-compliant modifications to the family vehicle and home.

We are optimistic of Hai’s recovery, even as he has a long road ahead. He is a fighter, determined to come home to be among family and to one day walk again. Please consider being a part of our journey to help Hai – by praying for him, by sharing this story and by donating. It means everything to us.

Thank you for your support.

Love, The Nguyen Family