Help Fund Upendra Patel's Ongoing Medical Costs
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On Thursday, November 29th Upendra Patel was rear ended in a motor vehicle accident on his way to work in Dallas, Texas, changing his life forever. The impact from the accident caused a fracture of his C3 and C4 vertebrae along with compression of his spinal cord and subluxation of his spinal nerves (a severe structural displacement). The combination of these injuries resulted in instant paralysis from the shoulders down.
The closest friends of Upendra’s children, Harish and Dipali, and Dipali’s husband Atish have set up this page to contribute to the financial burden the Patel family faces as they adjust to a new standard.
We thank you in advance for your help and kindness.
About Upendra Patel
For those of you who don’t know him, Upendra Patel is the husband of Dipika and the father of adult children Dipali and Harish Patel. He is incredibly hard working, passionate about helping others and the spearhead of their family. Upendra created a career in technology and has been an employee at Lucent Technologies for over 30 years. He provided for his family, raising two extremely successful children and serving as the leader of the extended family in Northern New Jersey.
This summer, Upendra and Dipika sold the house their children grew up in in Byram, New Jersey and moved south to Dallas where Dipali and her husband Atish had relocated two years prior with the intentions of growing their family. Upendra and Dipika have dreams of being grandparents and have spent countless hours helping Dipali and Atish add the finishing touches to their new home. Dipika taught Dipali all of their family traditions for caring for a home. Upendra did the landscaping, installed security systems, and purchased all of the items needed for recessed lighting with plans to install before Christmas. Upendra spent the last few months nearly inseparable from his daughter. He was once again close by and willing to help her create the life of her dreams.
The aftermath of the accident
Upendra was rushed to Parkland Hospital in Dallas where he underwent a surgical intervention procedure consisting of spinal cord decompression and fusion of his cervical vertebrae in an effort to prevent any more damage and reduce pressure and inflammation of his spinal cord. The goal was for him to regain some function below the level of injury. Within 48 hours, he was able to shrug his shoulders and had minimal sensation in his arms. At the 72 hour mark, he was able to bend his elbow and raise his arm off the bed a few inches. At the time of posting this, he has no sensation in and cannot move his wrists, hands or fingers. The medical team is cautiously optimistic that he will be able to use his arms but will continue to have problems with fine motor skills.
Fortunately, Upendra never lost respiratory function and he has been able to breathe and eat on his own. His mental capacity has not wavered. He is cognizant, sharp and still very funny. He is still the leader of the family, directing decisions on insurance and finances and nurturing his wife and children through this emotional time.
Unfortunately, life will never be the same for the Patel family. Upendra will likely never walk again. He will not go to work, drive a car or go on vacation. He will not install the recessed lighting in Dipali and Atish’s house as planned. He will not mow the lawn, shovel the snow or perfect his Bloody Mary recipe. He will likely never hold his grandchildren.
Life for Upendra moving forward
Upendra was moved out of the ICU on Monday, December 3rd, but remained at Parkland Hospital as complications from his condition impacted his overall health. After being treated for a fever, Upendra moved to a rehabilitation center at Baylor Medical Center on Friday, December 14th and has begun advanced treatment with the medical staff there.
Baylor Medical Center specializes in spinal cord injury and Upendra will be in good hands during his stay. It is estimated he will be in the rehab center for 6-8 weeks while treatment and therapy progress. The Patel family ultimately plans for Upendra and Dipika to move back home to New Jersey where they can be surrounded by family members to help with care in the years to come. The medical complications from his quadriplegic state will be life long and having his closest family nearby will be important as they face so many challenges.
In this quadriplegic state, Upendra will need a 24-hour home health aide to assist in even the simplest of tasks, including brushing his teeth, bathing, using the bathroom, getting around, eating, dressing himself and many others that we take for granted.
Upendra will be more susceptible to blood clots in his legs and lungs as his life continues. His future will include bladder and urinary tract infections and bowel management issues. He is more likely to develop cardiovascular disease based on his forced sedentary lifestyle and he is 10 times more likely to develop sleep apnea. Pneumonia is the biggest risk for those who have experienced spinal cord injuries and has been a leading cause of death for SCI patients over the age of 50.
Despite his typically positive demeanor, Upendra’s mental health will also be impacted by his injury. It is estimated that up to 37% of SCI patients experience depression. He will be more susceptible to anxiety, stress and suicide ideation.
What your donations will go towards
The road ahead is both physically and emotionally demanding for Upendra and his family, and there are so many costs to allow Upendra to live his life to the fullest. The estimated lifetime costs of caring for someone with an injury so severe surpass $3 million. The first year costs alone vary between $600,000 and $985,000. It is still unclear what his medical and car insurance will cover, but we know that there are adaptive needs that will need to come out of pocket. Our goal is to help ease this burden.
Funds raised will help to cover all medical costs not covered by insurance; a nurse aid which will be needed full time once Upendra returns home; adapted housing; medical equipment and a modified vehicle among countless other needs.
*While GoFundMe allows anyone to create a campaign for free, there is a 2.9% processing fee plus a $0.30 fee per donation. We've added an extra $1,500 to our goal to help cover these fees.
*Additional information about aging with a Spinal Cord Injury can be found here: http://sci.washington.edu/info/forums/reports/aging_6.09.asp
The closest friends of Upendra’s children, Harish and Dipali, and Dipali’s husband Atish have set up this page to contribute to the financial burden the Patel family faces as they adjust to a new standard.
We thank you in advance for your help and kindness.
About Upendra Patel
For those of you who don’t know him, Upendra Patel is the husband of Dipika and the father of adult children Dipali and Harish Patel. He is incredibly hard working, passionate about helping others and the spearhead of their family. Upendra created a career in technology and has been an employee at Lucent Technologies for over 30 years. He provided for his family, raising two extremely successful children and serving as the leader of the extended family in Northern New Jersey.
This summer, Upendra and Dipika sold the house their children grew up in in Byram, New Jersey and moved south to Dallas where Dipali and her husband Atish had relocated two years prior with the intentions of growing their family. Upendra and Dipika have dreams of being grandparents and have spent countless hours helping Dipali and Atish add the finishing touches to their new home. Dipika taught Dipali all of their family traditions for caring for a home. Upendra did the landscaping, installed security systems, and purchased all of the items needed for recessed lighting with plans to install before Christmas. Upendra spent the last few months nearly inseparable from his daughter. He was once again close by and willing to help her create the life of her dreams.
The aftermath of the accident
Upendra was rushed to Parkland Hospital in Dallas where he underwent a surgical intervention procedure consisting of spinal cord decompression and fusion of his cervical vertebrae in an effort to prevent any more damage and reduce pressure and inflammation of his spinal cord. The goal was for him to regain some function below the level of injury. Within 48 hours, he was able to shrug his shoulders and had minimal sensation in his arms. At the 72 hour mark, he was able to bend his elbow and raise his arm off the bed a few inches. At the time of posting this, he has no sensation in and cannot move his wrists, hands or fingers. The medical team is cautiously optimistic that he will be able to use his arms but will continue to have problems with fine motor skills.
Fortunately, Upendra never lost respiratory function and he has been able to breathe and eat on his own. His mental capacity has not wavered. He is cognizant, sharp and still very funny. He is still the leader of the family, directing decisions on insurance and finances and nurturing his wife and children through this emotional time.
Unfortunately, life will never be the same for the Patel family. Upendra will likely never walk again. He will not go to work, drive a car or go on vacation. He will not install the recessed lighting in Dipali and Atish’s house as planned. He will not mow the lawn, shovel the snow or perfect his Bloody Mary recipe. He will likely never hold his grandchildren.
Life for Upendra moving forward
Upendra was moved out of the ICU on Monday, December 3rd, but remained at Parkland Hospital as complications from his condition impacted his overall health. After being treated for a fever, Upendra moved to a rehabilitation center at Baylor Medical Center on Friday, December 14th and has begun advanced treatment with the medical staff there.
Baylor Medical Center specializes in spinal cord injury and Upendra will be in good hands during his stay. It is estimated he will be in the rehab center for 6-8 weeks while treatment and therapy progress. The Patel family ultimately plans for Upendra and Dipika to move back home to New Jersey where they can be surrounded by family members to help with care in the years to come. The medical complications from his quadriplegic state will be life long and having his closest family nearby will be important as they face so many challenges.
In this quadriplegic state, Upendra will need a 24-hour home health aide to assist in even the simplest of tasks, including brushing his teeth, bathing, using the bathroom, getting around, eating, dressing himself and many others that we take for granted.
Upendra will be more susceptible to blood clots in his legs and lungs as his life continues. His future will include bladder and urinary tract infections and bowel management issues. He is more likely to develop cardiovascular disease based on his forced sedentary lifestyle and he is 10 times more likely to develop sleep apnea. Pneumonia is the biggest risk for those who have experienced spinal cord injuries and has been a leading cause of death for SCI patients over the age of 50.
Despite his typically positive demeanor, Upendra’s mental health will also be impacted by his injury. It is estimated that up to 37% of SCI patients experience depression. He will be more susceptible to anxiety, stress and suicide ideation.
What your donations will go towards
The road ahead is both physically and emotionally demanding for Upendra and his family, and there are so many costs to allow Upendra to live his life to the fullest. The estimated lifetime costs of caring for someone with an injury so severe surpass $3 million. The first year costs alone vary between $600,000 and $985,000. It is still unclear what his medical and car insurance will cover, but we know that there are adaptive needs that will need to come out of pocket. Our goal is to help ease this burden.
Funds raised will help to cover all medical costs not covered by insurance; a nurse aid which will be needed full time once Upendra returns home; adapted housing; medical equipment and a modified vehicle among countless other needs.
*While GoFundMe allows anyone to create a campaign for free, there is a 2.9% processing fee plus a $0.30 fee per donation. We've added an extra $1,500 to our goal to help cover these fees.
*Additional information about aging with a Spinal Cord Injury can be found here: http://sci.washington.edu/info/forums/reports/aging_6.09.asp
Fundraising team: Friends of the Patel family (9)
Erin Miller
Organizer
Frisco, TX
Atish Patel
Beneficiary
Danielle Lynn
Team member
Dipali Patel
Team member
Harish Patel
Team member
Jamie Church
Team member