Hi! I'm Julia, and I've been friends with AJ Diggins since 2005.

If you have ever met AJ, you know what a kind, thoughtful, caring, and incredible person he is. He is always willing to help a friend or offer a kind word, even to people he has just met. However, now AJ needs our help.

At the end of July, AJ was severely injured and is now in the hospital for a Traumatic Brain Injury. Physically, he gets strong every day, but mentally he is struggling, cannot connect thoughts and still does not know what happened to him. Per the neurosurgeon, the hematoma on his brain swelled 5-7 days after the injury, and the swelling should go down 10-15 days after the swelling stops. CT scans show that the hematoma is not worsening, so surgical intervention should not be necessary. As AJ prepares for TBI rehab, he is under 24/7 surveillance by the medical staff at Mt. Sinai Morningside.

AJ’s dad and sisters were able to be with him in New York for almost a week. Unfortunately, the covid restrictions are stringent, and only two people may visit him per day. While visiting, it was very encouraging to know that he had so many people reaching out to wish him well and the desire to see him. I was fortunate to be one of those people that could be with him in the hospital, and while it was mentally challenging, it is nothing compared to what AJ is going through and the road he will be traveling to recover.

AJ loves the theatre work he does, and on his road to recovery, AJ will be unable to work. New York is an expensive city to live in, and he will still have to pay his regular bills(rent, utilities, etc.) and the mounting medical bills. Any amount you can give would benefit him so much. If you cannot give to this GoFundMe, please consider sharing this page so that others may be able to.

To know AJ is to love him. Although we can't all be with him in person, we can help him from afar.