Nathan Bloch's Stroke Recovery Fund

On March 12th of this year at around 11:30 PM, I received a phone call straight out of a nightmare. Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to learn; that my best friend was receiving brain surgeryl and had less than a 40% chance of survival. Nathan Bloch, my best friend since freshman year who I had just graduated high school with a few months before, had suffered from an intense stroke caused by a condition known as AVM. That evening, Nathan beat the odds and came out of surgery in a coma state. Since then, Nathan has made tremendous progress. After what seemed like an eternity in sedation, Nathan slowly progressed into a state where he could squeeze our hands and open his eyes. After a multitude of other life saving operations and procedures at UCLA, he finally pulled through. However, Nathan's body had sacrificed a great deal of strength and ability. As we enter August, we are coming up on 6 months since the stroke and although Nathan has reached some huge milestones, he still has a long way to go. Some of his language has returned and he is able to express his familiarity with the past but he is still not remotely close to who he was before. He cannot be alone and requires constant, diligent care that ensures his safety and well being. His parents have fought tooth and nail for the best care but at the moment, the insurance companies are becoming less and less willing to supply Nathan with the capital for a recovery as extensive as one needs in his situation. At the moment, this is Nathan's most pressing dilemma. He is currently at a terrific subacute rehabilitation facility in the O.C. area but come friday, 08/05 (tomorrow), he is being discharged and has nowhere to go. The insurance company is not even willing to put him into a nursing home. We are asking you to help us raise funds to keep Nathan in a proper facility where he will be given the kind of intensive care he is in such desperate need of. To have him back home is not an option and to have him in a medical facility that does not provide the special care he needs is far from ideal at this time. Nathan is like a brother to me and not having him around the last few months has been hard enough. Knowing he will not be given the treatment he is in such great need of is something neither I nor his family and close friends can bear. He has played such a powerful role in so many of our lives as a tremendously thoughtful and loving friend, boyfriend, son, teacher, therapist, and philosopher. Thank you for your taking the time to give Nathan's situation some thought. He means the world to us.