Thomas Gray Medical Expenses

Life has been a party for Thomas for as long as anyone in his life can remember. Always up for an adventure, doing the most he possibly can (probably a little too much) at all times. He can turn watching TV on a Wednesday night into a party simply because he wants to experience everything life can give. So, when 4 of his life time buddies asked him to fly to Olympia, Washington for their ten year fantasy football draft, the answer was a simple, “yes!”

After months of organizing and planning, the team finally hopped on a plane. They made it to Washington and the vibes were at all time high since Thomas, AJ, J, Matthew, and Matt had finally made a little dream come true. A vacation with just the boys actually happened! Five kids, all from the same neighborhood, were hiking, cooking out, playing beer pong, and experiencing breathtaking views of Mt. Rainier from their kayaks in the Puget Sound. Thomas knew the sacrifices he and all of his friends made to get there were all worth it.

One night of the trip with the boys in Olympia, Washington, they decided to head back to the Puget Sound, where they were kayaking only hours before. Thomas decided it was time to jump back in for a swim. If you know this guy, he loves jumping into water off of anything. Unfortunately, the tide had lowered considerably and he jumped head first into water maybe 4 inches deep without knowing because the sun had set. Upon impact, he immediately broke his C4 and C5 vertebrae and suffered a concussion. His buddies heard him calling for help, thinking he was teasing them. Luckily, they ran over pulling him out of the frigid water. Clearly, Thomas was in the worst pain of his life and definitely not aware of the incredible injury he just sustained. His friends were flabbergasted didn’t really know what to do as they didn’t see Thomas jump in. They finally got him to safety and warmth in Matt’s home.

After countless hours in extreme pain, the boys decided it was time to get to medical help. Within minutes of arrival Thomas was in a C-spine collar, and within an hour he was on his way to Seattle in a two hour ambulance ride to get the best treatment possible. After three surgeries, many days in the ICU, and a week and a half at the hospital, Thomas is just glad to be here. His surgeon mentioned to him he represents the 1% of all people that would receive that type of surgery and not be quadriplegic. Thomas owes his new lease on life to the incredible team at Harborview Hospital with Dr. Zhou leading the team. He is so incredibly appreciative and overwhelmed with everything they were able to overcome. Thomas’ mom, Bernadette, and dad, Sam, were able to fly to the hospital along with his step dad, Neil, and his girlfriend, Kelsey. These four also had tremendous roles in keeping Thomas motivated and strong during the toughest days of his life. He wants them to know they are so loved and they mean the world to him. He’s also so excited these moments have allowed his dad and step dad to find a new relationship that is healthy and has made Thomas so incredibly proud of.

This story is in many ways a metaphor of Thomas’ recent life. Planning, and operating his DJ company at a high level has been a top priority to fulfill his life in all facets. He realized that by being a more responsible and adaptable DJ, he could work himself out of the debt from college tuition, bad decisions from his teens and early twenties, and his move to and from Colorado. He got to work ready to grind on and off the stage in order to live a happier and healthier lifestyle, and managed to free himself from debt.

As you can imagine, the level of care Thomas received and how long he had to stay at the hospital does not come without cost. In fact, the medical bills throughout this entire process have been accumulating considerably. Thomas has probably never imagined he would be responsible for the incredible amount of debt that accrued over a week. As an independent contractor who works as a DJ, seeking medical insurance has always been difficult, if not impossible, and now he faces a 100k+ medical bill.

Thomas knows the medical bill is the least of his worries as gaining mobility and recovering is most important. Eventually it’ll get paid just like his debt from his teen years and twenties, but for the foreseeable future Thomas is not going to be able to work for himself for at least a few months. That’s why we have created a Go Fund Me for him so his friends and family can show support in a way that might take some serious financial stress off him as he heals. Please consider donating as Thomas will be incredibly appreciative while working his hardest to get his body, mind, and soul to peak functionality.