Medical and Rehabilitation Expenses

Hi, my name is Gina and I’m raising funds for my brother in law, Austin.

On October 18, 2023, at around 1:30 in the afternoon, Austin’s life completely changed in the blink of an eye. Austin was in a motor vehicle crash and had to be airlifted to Regional One Health in Memphis. He was immediately admitted to the trauma department for treatment for severe neck injuries suffered during the crash. He has major trauma to the vertebra in his neck, which caused devastating spinal cord damage. Currently, he has undergone one surgery to place a rod in his neck to help with stability of his head and a tracheotomy was performed during the same surgery to help with his breathing due to the swelling caused by the trauma. He will undergo at least two additional surgeries to remove bone fragments from his neck caused by the shattered vertebra to eliminate the possibility of additional spinal cord injury. Currently, Austin is paralyzed from his chest down and has unfortunately developed pneumonia, which has caused a setback for him. We are asking for your prayers for healing. He needs not only physical healing but emotional and mental healing as well as this was a devastating event and has changed his life completely in mere seconds.

We have not been given a hospital release date at this time; however, the nurses have told us that Shepherd Center in Atlanta for rehabilitation is an outstanding facility and they feel Austin is a great candidate to be accepted there. They also believe he would greatly benefit from the rehabilitation treatments offered there. If accepted to Shepherd Center prior to his release from the hospital, our understanding from the medical team is he will be immediately transported to Atlanta to begin rehabilitation treatments.

Shepherd Center is named one of the nation’s top hospitals for rehabilitation by U.S. News. It’s the only rehabilitation facility in the nation with an intensive care unit and acute medical components on-site. This allows them to begin the rehabilitation process sooner than other hospitals. Shepherd Center specializes in the treatment of spinal cord injury, whereas other rehabilitation centers do not. That means they have more experience dealing with situations like Austin’s and can offer him a better chance of reversing some of the paralysis to possibly regain some of his mobility. If you or someone you know would like more information about Shepherd Center, please follow the below link.

https://www.shepherd.org/

We, Austin’s family would like to extend our gratitude to each of you who are praying for Austin and us during this difficult time. We haven’t had to experience anything like this before and it’s all new and unfamiliar to us. We are doing our best to make the correct decisions for Austin with the guidance of the medical team and we ask that you continue to keep all of us in your prayers as we navigate these new and uncharted waters.

We are also asking for donations to help with medical costs for Austin. Not only for his current expenses at Regional One, but also for future expenses for his rehabilitation and ongoing care. Please know that no amount is too small, and we, his family, appreciate any and all help you can give. Every dollar will be used for Austin’s medical and rehabilitation expenses. We thank you in advance for your support.