Support Westly's Journey to Recovery

Hello! My name is Westly, and I'm a queer, disabled 22 year old raising money to help pay for my medical expenses since becoming a partial paraplegic.

(Click "Read more" and scroll to the bottom for a breakdown of my expenses.)

My story:

I've always been a very independent and driven person with a passion for the outdoors. I finished my bachelor's in ecology and became a published researcher when I was only 20. After college, I was excited to pursue a career in conservation work and environmental research and live my dream of working outside every day. Then, in January of 2023, just before my 21st birthday, I fell three stories, breaking my spine and sustaining multiple other severe injuries to my legs and feet. It took months for it to sink in that I'd probably never be able to do field work again. If I can raise enough money to access the medical care I need, however, I’m hopeful I might be able to recover enough to be able to go for walks outdoors.

Over the two years since my accident, I’ve had seven surgeries and have spent hundreds of hours in physical therapy in an effort to regain as much function and independence as I can. After all of this work and thanks to so much support from my friends and family, I've managed to go from being completely bed bound to being part time in a wheelchair and even able to walk enough to get around indoors some days. Unfortunately, the severity and rarity of some of my injuries has made them very difficult to treat, and the combination of spinal cord, bone, and soft tissue injuries adds up to a complex system of musculoskeletal pain and neuropathy that is difficult to manage. This chronic pain limits my ability to sit, stand, or leave the house much.

Why I Need Your Help:

There are treatments that have the potential to reduce my pain and greatly improve my quality of life, but unfortunately, insurance companies won't cover many treatments for rare or under-researched injuries and conditions, so it's up to me to gather the funds to access them. This is where the compassion and generosity of people like you could change my life.

My main goals are to raise enough money to be able to receive care at a pain clinic that offers an array of advanced therapies for spine, nerve, and other unique injuries, and to pay for a membership to my community center pool since there aren’t any physical therapy centers in my area that offer water therapy. My secondary goal is to cover the costs of additional therapies and pain treatments not covered by insurance.

I will forever be so grateful to my family, my partner, and my friends for their generosity and grace as they have helped me through this incredibly challenging time, but I now feel the need to extend my sphere of support in order to continue my recovery. It really does take a village, and every contribution, no matter how small, makes a world of difference, so thank you so so much to everyone who shares and donates!

Here is a more detailed outline of the care I’ll be able to access with your help and how much these treatments will cost.

Expense Breakdown:

$8,202 for a series of advanced spine and nerve therapies offered by Sound Pain Solutions. Update: The $2000 I've raised so far through this gofundme as well as a $500 gift from family will be going toward these treatments, leaving me with $5,702 that I still need to raise

$4,000 for other medical fees and treatments including copays, clinical massage, cupping treatments, and trauma therapy with an EMDR licensed therapist

$651 for an annual pass to the Lynnwood Recreation Center for pool access. While my physical therapists highly recommend water therapy, there are no local therapy centers that have a pool, so I will have to pay out of pocket to access classes and therapies at the local rec center. Update: a membership was generously gifted to me so this expense has been covered!