Help ease Scott’s mind so he can focus on healing

My name is Diane Strouse and I am fundraising for my brother Scott Abram. Scott was injured in a rafting accident in 1989 when he was only 17 years old and has been paralyzed from the chest down since. In addition to his paralysis, he has had to deal with chronic nerve pain and spasticity. Throughout the years he has been an inspiration to everyone in how he accepted his disability, kept his sense of humor, remained positive and pushed forward earning two undergraduate degrees, becoming employed full time, purchasing a home, and supporting his wife and two children.

The past 5 years Scott’s health has steadily declined as he has been battling one skin wound after another and this would equate to him being bed bound for weeks or months (these wounds are common in quadriplegics). In 2021, the wounds on his left foot grew dangerous enough that he had to go to the wound clinic for care. While they did everything they could, the wounds would not consistently heal. By the end of the year his foot was the size of a football, and he was diagnosed with lymphedema. This past year he has had several procedures to reduce the swelling and when nothing worked he was ordered bedrest and in this process developed a sacral wound. He has spent most of this past year and half in bed and through that time developed sepsis twice resulting in long hospital stays.

Two months ago, the wound doctor ordered MRI’s of his hips and legs and they discovered significant osteomyelitis (infection) in his right femur, hip and his left ankle. To protect him from a devastating illness and/or death, on June 5, 2023 they removed 3 inches of his femur, the femur head, and part of his hip on his right side. Muscles were then moved to attach his hip to his femur. One week later his left foot was amputated about two thirds down the tibia/fibula from the knee. His recovery will be long and hard. He has 8 more weeks in a rehabilitation facility before he can move back home.

All of this is taking a toll on him emotionally and physically. While he managed to continue working from bed through much of the past year and half, he has been unable to work since the amputations as he had to lay flat in bed. A huge factor contributing to his stress is not knowing how he will support his wife and two children when his paid time off runs out and this will happen in the next couple weeks. Without the constant care of his wife, he would not be alive today and he wants to ease her stress too. To help Scott and his family, I am setting up this campaign to raise funds that will be used directly for Scott to pay his mortgage, help fund medical equipment he may need when he returns home to prevent new wounds from developing, and help support his family while he is unable to work. Any donations are deeply appreciated. Thank you in advance for your support.