Help Curtis Regain His Independence With a New Wheelchair

In July 2022, my nephew, Curtis, contracted a rare infection that started in his foot and traveled to his spine. He woke up one morning, paralyzed from the waist down.

Curtis spent the next 3 months in the hospital undergoing continuous treatment for the infection and extensive physical therapy with the hopes that he might gain some use of his legs again. But ultimately, that wasn’t to be.

Since then, he has been hospitalized several more times, has suffered from multiple infections (including several bouts of sepsis), had a pulmonary embolism, and many serious bedsores. One time in particular, he had such bad sepsis, he was placed on a ventilator and we thought we might lose him.

Currently, Curtis lives at home and he’s very isolated. He’s on permanent disability and Medicaid. He was able to get a home hospital bed and a manual wheelchair, but it’s too small and now it’s falling apart. Medicaid only covers one new wheelchair every five years, and they don't cover electric wheelchairs at all. It’s very difficult for him to transfer from his bed to his current wheelchair, so he spends most of his time at home in bed.

Throughout all of this, Curtis has always maintained a positive attitude and has never given up hope—and neither will we. Our family is trying to get Curtis an electric wheelchair to give him back some independence. An electric wheelchair would give Curtis the ability to get himself to his appointments, go to the grocery store, and just enjoy the world again. Thank you for taking the time to read Curtis’s story, and for any help you’re able to give. We are so grateful for donations, no matter how small. All money raised will go towards getting Curtis his new chair.

Please help us give Curtis back his independence and show him that there are people out here who still care.