Danny's Recovery Fund
Many people that know my little brother, Danny, understand him to be a goofy, fun-loving, kind-hearted young man with a passion for music, animals, The CBJ, and spending time with his lovely wife, Lisa. But few people know that he's quietly been suffering behind closed doors over the last 18 months...
(Danny and Lisa enjoying a CBJ game)
In June of 2016, Danny was injured while at worked, pinned between a metal rack and a heavy piece of industrial machinery weighing nearly 20,000 lbs. This could have killed him.
This injury happened at no-fault of his own, but the negligence of another employee unaware of his surroundings.
He proceeded the best way he knew how with his work's policies and internal investigations. Initially, he and doctors assumed his pain, numbness throughout his entire arm, and general discomfort was linked to his shoulder and upper arm. Which came as a great blow to Danny, as he has been playing guitar since at least 5 years old (over 2 decades now), and with the harsh reality of not being able to carry the weight of his guitar, let alone use his fingers to play.
After speaking with additional doctors, outside of the ones recommended by his work, they discovered that part of his injury included his neck and spine, on top of his shoulder and arm.
He sustained two herniated discs in his mid back and three herniated discs in his neck. Of which two of the herniated discs are touching his spinal cord causing extreme pain in his neck, shoulder, and mid back. This injury has also caused numbness throughout the right side of his body, but mostly affecting his right arm and hand.
With this information, his job put him on "light duty", which essentially meant sitting in a training room alone 8 hours a day without a phone or interaction with other people, while watching training videos and taking quizzes. This quickly lead to a great deal of depression, which is something you wouldn't see in someone as vibrant and energetic as Danny.
(Danny and Lisa on their wedding day)
After many months of "light duty", and no improvement with his condition, he was transitioned into temporary-total disability while he awaited his claim to be approved.
Months of phone calls with attorneys, doctors, and HR has left him and his life with his wife and fur-children in limbo. The depression grew deeper as he wasn't allowed to work or seek income elsewhere while waiting on his claim, unable to enjoy his passion to the fullest (only in small spurts or while medicated). The Danny we all know and love was fading, and his work was/is doing nothing to help him.
His job has fought him every step of the way. Counteracting any progress he and his attorney have tried to make over the last 18 months.
As of three weeks ago (right at the new year), his job has decided to deny his claim and terminate his disability. Leaving him without an income while he waits for a hearing to appeal.
Danny would be too proud to ask for help from friends and family, even though he knows he needs it and that any one of us would be willing to help him out, as he has been there for us over the years and will continue to do so. His wife is the sole provider for them both at this time, which includes taking care of a mortgage, bills, medical bills, and their animals, on top of the normal day-to-day requirements to survive. She needs just as much as love as Danny does during this extremely rough period.
I am asking you, as a sister watching her younger brother suffer, to please donate and share this story to help Danny and Lisa keep their heads above water while they wait for answers.
No one deserves to go through this or feel like this, ever. But especially not Danny. He'd would never do anything to hurt or harm another person. He loves hard, and he needs love now.
