Help Ben come home after disastrous accident

Ben Murray is a twenty-year-old college student who has spent the fall semester abroad in Egypt. He had a terrible accident on Tuesday December 12, 2023. He fell 30 feet in a free fall from a sand cliff that crumbled out from underneath him. From the unimpeded fall, he broke both arms, both wrists, and hand bones. His his right leg was also broken and his knee required an immediate initial surgery. Metal hardware has been placed in his damaged right elbow, knee and wrists. He bruised his ribs and required stitches around his hip and his eye. The accident happened in middle of the desert on a guided tour, 6 hours away from the hospital. The friends he was with were able to maneuver him into the car and did all they could to keep him calm and comfortable during a very painful ride to the hospital. Due to the severity of his injuries he is unable to use his arms to feed himself, brush his teeth and engage in other activities of daily living.

Ben's plans were to return home to Red Hook, NY in time for Christmas, and his semester was nearly finished. Unfortunately he now requires extremely specialized transportation home, which far exceeds the cost of the ticket he already purchased.

Once Ben is home, he will be confined to a wheelchair for an undetermined amount of time, depending on how quickly he heals from the possible multiple surgeries he may require.

Ben will be living full time with his divorced mom, Amy, who also takes care of her daughter, Ben's sister, full time. They live in a modest ranch-style home, with stairs immediately upon entry to access the living areas, the kitchen, bedrooms, and bathroom. It is anticipated that some kind of lift will be required to get Ben up and down the stairs for medical appointments and anytime he may need to leave the home. Renovations will likely be required to convert a bathroom to ADA standards and size to accommodate Ben's wheelchair. His bedroom door will also need to be expanded to allow him entry to his own room, along with other accessible modifications around the house.

Ben is going to require extensive follow-up medical care, including more surgeries around the hardware installed, an electric wheelchair due to the lack of use of his hands, a hospital bed, and extensive and ongoing physical therapy for much of his body.

Ben's first question to the Egyptian doctors was "will I be able to play guitar". He is an extremely accomplished cellist and guitar player, whose life often revolves around playing music. He has performed in orchestras around the Hudson Valley for much of his teen life. He enjoys playing guitar with his friends, and music represents his biggest joy in life. We look forward to Ben healing and having his guitar and cello back in his hands.

Your generous donations to Ben are lovingly appreciated. Funds that are donated will go directly to Ben's ongoing care, home renovations, and transportation home in a specialized and costly air ambulance. Please consider helping this beautiful young man and musician.