The Sheltra Family
Donation protected
On July 10th of this year, my family was in a horrible accident. My dad, stepmom, and two little brothers, along with my aunt, uncle, cousin, and family friend were all involved in the accident.
My twelve year old brother suffered only minor bumps and bruises and was released from the hospital the day of the accident. My dad was also released the day of, out of urgency to be there for my brothers, as my stepmom couldn’t be. He was later found to have a torn ACL and MCL, and a crack in his right hip. He was wheelchair bound for almost a month but is now able to walk again, awaiting the appropriate time to undergo surgery. My six year old brother broke his right ankle and lost his left leg as a result of his injuries. He was in the hospital for 5 weeks undergoing countless surgeries, struggling through dressing changes due to the pain and fear, and receiving aggressive physical and occupational therapy sessions. He was bedridden for almost 2 weeks before he made the challenging leap of transferring himself into a wheelchair. We’re currently waiting for his leg to heal to start the process fitting him for a prosthetic, or as he likes to call it, his “exotic” leg. He is the strongest little boy I know and has been so brave throughout this entire process. He was so happy to see his Mom for the first time after 5 weeks when he got discharged, is so happy to be able to be home with family. He will be homeschooled for the beginning of the year, as he needs too much hands on care to comfortably attend a regular school day. My stepmother, MaryJo, suffered a traumatic brain injury. She was intubated, and later had a tracheostomy put in place to sustain her breathing after two failed extubations. In the beginning, we were unsure if she would ever wake up or be able to breathe on her own again, and were told her vocal chords were paralyzed. Family and friends were at her bedside day in and day out just trying to get her to open her eyes. She has made drastic strides since the first day she opened her eyes, getting stronger everyday. She was eventually transferred to a rehabilitation center and has since had her tracheostomy removed and is able to breathe sufficiently on her own, and speak! She is currently working with occupational and physical therapy to relearn how to walk, bathe, and complete other activities of daily living. She is doing great physically, but is still suffering from effects of the TBI on her mentation. They are unsure as to what extent her memory and judgement will recover. She will be discharged soon, as her facility doesn’t specialize in brain injuries but will still require 24/7 care as it isn’t safe for her to be left alone right now. Her doctors have educated us on a rehabilitation program that specializes in traumatic brain injuries that they believe will be able to help her regain her mentation. The program is 6 weeks long and will focus on helping her regain her memory and judgement, and to hopefully aid her to be able to function as an active member of the community and our family once again. Her doctors believe that this program will help her make drastic strides that she would not be able to make at home. Unfortunately our insurance does not cover the cost of this incredible program, leaving the out of pocket expense at $30,000. My father is currently still out of work to care for my family, visiting MaryJo multiple times a day, and helping my little brother with activities he used to do on his own like bathing, using the bathroom, and getting around the house. As both MaryJo and my father are out of work, we will not be able to put MaryJo through this program without reaching out for help from the community. This has been a tough past few weeks but is only the beginning of a long road for our family. This program could help MaryJo to be a mother, wife, sister, and friend again. Any donations or shares are greatly appreciated and will go a long way. Thank you for keeping our family in your thoughts and prayers.
Organizer and beneficiary
Alyssa Sheltra
Organizer
Rocky Hill, CT
Kerry Sheltra
Beneficiary