Justin Porter-Emergency Help Needed!

***Justin's parents still need a wheelchair ramp and a wheelchair accessible van in order to transport Justin to appointments along with various other items. Please help!!*** 

On 9/3/13, Justin Porter's parents received the phone call that is every parents' worst nightmare. Their 26-year-old son Justin was involved in a motorcycle accident on I-4 on his way home from work in Orlando. Justin was not wearing a helmet and was traveling at 70mph at the time of the accident. He was pronounced dead at the scene but fortunately he was resuscitated and flown to a nearby trauma hospital. However, Justin has suffered permanent brain damage and remains in a coma. He has undergone multiple surgeries to place and remove shunts in his brain, to remove and replace a piece of his skull in the hopes of controlling the swelling, a feeding tube and a tracheostomy (breathing tube.) Justin's dad and stepmom commute each day (120miles) in order to spend a few precious hours with their son. Justin's stepmom will be leaving her job-much more quickly than the family had planned-so that she can be Justin's full-time caretaker while his dad continues to work and cover all of the household expenses on his income. On 1/8/14, Justin's family was informed that Justin will be discharged into their care by the end of the month. While they are overjoyed to have their son coming home after more than 100 days, unfortunately, they are not prepared for this sudden news. There is not enough time to solve the major obstacles that could hinder/prevent them from caring for Justin at home: Their home (they rent at this time because they are unable to secure a mortgage for a new home that would be accessible for Justin) does not have a wheelchair ramp and the inside is not handicap accessible. These are important features as Justin will need a high back wheelchair in order to be transported back and forth. The family car (an older Saturn SL2) is neither big enough or safe enough to transport Justin, his large specialized wheelchair, his dad and his stepmom back and forth to appointments. While the family has successfully gained Medicare for Justin, it is not going to cover all of his medical costs. To date, the family knows that Medicare is refusing to cover the cost of Justin's "food" which will be fed through a feeding tube in his stomach. That cost will fall squarely on the shoulders of his family. With only one full-time income coming into the house this fund is their only hope of being able to provide Justin with the care that he needs. They refuse to send Justin to nursing home because he is their son and they feel that caring for Justin is naturally what any parent would do for their child. Justin's dad and stepmom live alone and their families are back in Ohio, leaving them to care for their son between the two of them. Please consider helping a very strong and determined family care for their son in his time of need. Your donations will mean more to them than they can ever thank you for. Thank you for taking the time to read Justin's story and please add Justin's page on Facebook if you would like updates on Justin's progress ([email redacted]). You can read more about Justin in the About section under "See All". We look forward to sharing our journey with you!