Hi, if we don't know one another, my name is Kristina Swan. I am fundraising for my brother Allen, who is 15 years my elder and a best friend.

Allen and his long time partner Tammy have 2 teenage sons and has been self-employed in the town of Moriah as a carpenter most of his life. He is an avid guitarist and music enthusiast. Allen is passionate about sailing and has restored three boats over the past twenty years. He races each summer in Westport’s Annual Regatta.

My brother is many things but what shines the brightest is his character. If you know him, you know what I mean. There isn’t a dishonest bone in his body.

It is painful for me to share his tragedy with you, knowing how it impacts he and his family. No one deserves what has happened to him.

It began just following this past Christmas. Allen was experiencing back pain. He and our family thought he had possibly slipped a disc or strained something. His condition seemed reasonable due to the labor his profession requires and in general how hard he works. He decided to rest for a few days; hoping it would provide relief. The backache progressively became worse and he went to the emergency room.

He was sent home with pain medication and instructions to rest. He did that, although the prescription did little to ease his back pain. My family called the ER a few days later, concerned that his condition was worsening. Allen was advised to follow up with his primary care physician. He was told there was little they could do unless he wanted more vital pain medication. My brother stayed home, suffered and tried to wait it out as instructed. Over the subsequent days, he began to lose sensation in his legs. Knowing something was wrong, he went back to the ER. Soon after his arrival, he was life-flighted to Burlington Vt. Due to a sporadic bacterial infection, an abscess had formed in his spinal column. He received emergency surgery. Upon cleaning the infection from his spine, doctors discovered that the nerves supporting his limbs were severely damaged. Subsequently, he is classified as a person with quadriplegia. The doctors have set a release date of as early as March 1st for Allen to return home in an electric wheelchair.

We need help adjusting Allen's home. It is not wheelchair accessible inside or out. We need to widen doorways, complete a kitchen reconfiguration, a new handicap accessible bathroom needs to be added and there isn't a wheelchair ramp entering his home. The list could go on and on. In addition, Allen’s insurance company will not cover some of his basic necessities. You cannot consider the multitude of implications this diagnosis implies until in this

position .

I am asking for prayers and positive vibes. Allen and my family need them more than ever. If you would like to support his needs with a monetary donation, please feel free to do so here. If you have a skill and time to share, please reach out to me through Facebook Messenger. I would love it if you could share Allen's story so please repost. Any help is appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read this and doing whatever you can. My family is eternally grateful.