Darrius' Recovery Fund

Dear friends, family and everyone in between,

My brother Darrius (pictured furthest right) just turned 28 a few weeks ago. It was the second year in a row that I could not have a conversation with him; I couldn’t ask him how he was celebrating or his plans for the day. I hung up the phone crying and decided that something needed to change.

Darrius was hit by a car going over 60 mph over two years ago. This accident, nearly fatal, left him bedridden for 2 months. My mom and I immediately met in Fredericksburg, Virginia and stayed there for 3 weeks. It was a close call, but he survived. The accident, however, has not left him unscarred. He still has a tracheostomy (trach) tube inserted in his throat. That means he has a hole in his throat that allowed him to breathe properly. He has to change the tubes often. In the last two weeks Darrius has been to the emergency room twice due to blood leakage from his trach. So this situation, if not attacked fast can lead to further health problems, beyond cosmetic. It takes a great effort for him to speak as the hole in his throat makes it barely audible. When I call home, I can see him on video chat, but I cannot hear his voice.

Darrius’ insurance does not cover the removal of this tube. It has been almost 2 years since he has been able to talk. It has been nearly 2 years of having this contraption in his throat. It has been almost 2 years since he has been able to work and live a normal life.

The removal of the tube is a very costly procedure. I am creating this crowdfunding page to raise money for my brother and to cover the procedure's medical expenses and surrounding costs. This includes hospital costs for the surgeon, the anesthesiologist, occupational therapy, the journeys to the hospital, and my mom's accommodation during the procedure. In total, the doctors estimate we need to raise 12,500 USD.

I am asking all of you to contribute and give my brother the most beautiful Christmas present he could wish for. His reality breaks my heart because Darrius is a beautiful and bubbly human being who deserves to live his best life. Seeing him like this is hard to bear. My family and I support him, but we need this procedure to make sure he can return to normal and finally leave this accident behind.

My family and I thank you for anything you can donate. Please share this amongst the people close to you, your community and everyone who you think might be able to contribute. We are thankful for even the slightest contribution. Let us all work together to meet this goal and hopefully have some good news for Darrius by Christmas.

Thank you!