Urgent Help Needed After Accident
January 9, 2016 - UPDATE
Thank you to everyone for you all of your pre-holiday donations to help Jennifer and her family. Without your generous donations, she would have lost her house in foreclosure. She was able to catch up on mortgage payments and some other outstanding bills but definitely not all. It's been a challenge indeed. It's not over yet.
Many have asked about a pending lawsuit. You would think this was a no brainer, she wasn't at fault and this should be an open and shut case. However, this is a very long and arduous process. The court date is not until June, 2016 - more than 2 years after the accident. And, there are no guarantees. In the mean time, Jenn has to make ends meet. She has to support her family and keep up with ongoing medical bills - all while trying to heal from the traumatic brain injury.
Please take a moment to consider what your favorite charities are. Myself, I am a long time supporter of the Sierra Club and Nature Conservancy because I strongly believe in protecting our natural world. BUT, not this year. I figure it would be better to send those dollars to someone that really needs it - to survive. So, I'm setting up a monthly donation, although I wish it were more, to go directly to Jenn. If we all set up an ongoing donation, it can be as little as $10/month, it would be a lifesaver.
I'm not trying to be pushy here, but please consider this for at least 6 months until her court date in late June. Think of it this way, $30/month is only $180 - that's not a lot, but it adds up and can mean the difference between not losing her home and making ends meet or not. The system is broken and she is one of those caught in the cracks. Your support means the world to both her and her girls!
With gratitude,
Marie
Addie enjoying some Christmas love! 
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December 12, 2016
It's been nearly 2 years (this April) that my dear friend Jennifer Burkhart was critically injured in a head on car collision. Before the accident, life was really good for Jennifer and her children. After a divorce, Jennifer had landed a challenging and rewarding job in which she helped disabled young adults transition from school to work Not only was Jennifer working in a rewarding job, but she also bought her own home and, only a few weeks before the crash, met the man of her dreams. Her girls (all of whom were adopted) were excelling and life was good. Jennifer was only 2 miles from home, driving to meet a friend for dinner, and through no fault of her own, her life changed in an instant.
Jennifer's pelvis was crushed; her body was bruised and battered. But, the worst of her injuries can't be seen. She suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. 
This could have happened to any of us! Just driving down the road and in one instant and life is forever changed. It was bad, really bad! Jenn spent months in the hospital and rehabilitation hospital. She was unconscious for the vast majority of the time she was in the hospital, only regaining her senses in July, three months after the crash. At times, Jen's life hung in the balance. She suffered a blood infection that almost took her out. She coded in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. I wasn’t sure I’d see my dearest childhood friend again, but, this girl is a fighter. I am amazed everyday that she survived and am happy for that, but she will never be the same person she was before the crash.
Jenn has significant post-traumatic amnesia (PTA). When she "woke up," Jenn didn’t know who anyone was, where she was, or what had happened. She was out of it – hallucinating, panic attacks, not making sense. It was rough. Then one day, she woke up. Panic! Where she was? Where were her girls? Shouldn’t she be at work? She had, and still has, no memory of the accident except occasional, terrifying nightmares of having the life crushed out of her. She has little memory from before the collision, and sometimes at best, she has fuzzy recollections of things here and there.
Jennifer’s mission over the past year and a half has been to heal. She’s had a number of surgeries, including a hip replacement and lots of painful physical rehabilitation and exhausting cognitive therapy and neuro-psychological testing. Though all of Jenn's injuries present their own unique challenges, it is the injury to her brain that presents the biggest challenge. She is not able to focus, has short-term memory loss, gets confused which can throw her into a spin, and her brain has to work overtime to where it tires and shuts down. She is still taking heavy doses of medication to help her overcome the physical and cognitive injuries that affect her way of life on a daily basis. 
So, imagine all of that and add to it being a single mom of 3 girls, ages 12, 16, 18! Not only has it been a financial struggle to maintain a home, mortgage payments, groceries, medical bills, but also keep things running smoothly with a house full of teenage (almost all) girls. The entire family was and continues to be deeply affected and disrupted in many, many ways since the accident.
So, long story, I know, but I it needs to be said…Jennifer needs our help and she needs it now! She is down to the wire now. Jenn has spent all she had to survive. All of her benefits are gone and she isn’t able to work any length of time because of the traumatic brain injury (TBI). Jenn's medical bills are approaching $1,000,000.00 and she continues to require weekly medical care, treatment, and medications! Meanwhile, her family still needs to eat and her children need to have a safe roof over their head, both of which Jenn is struggling to provide.
Jennifer amazes me everyday by her will to get through this. She’s been isolated and challenged all along the way, but as I said, she is one heck of a fighter. She has a purpose here. She is a survivor! Every little bit will help. So, please, take a moment to be grateful; life can change on a dime. Jennifer and her family are grateful too. Thank you!