Help Haydes Home & Heal
Donation protected
One of the hardest things during this Covid pandemic is having a loved one terribly injured in another country and not being able to be there with them nor get them home...
The call we got on the 25th April in the middle of the night alerted us in South Africa that Hayden (youngest brother of 4 siblings to a close knit family) had been involved in a terrible motor vehicle accident in Florida USA, caused by someone else coming head on into his lane on the freeway from the opposite side of the road.
He was in critical condition in ICU and had had to undergo many surgeries for both broken femurs, a shattered elbow, broken hand, internal bleed and the worst finding out that he had sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury.
We did not know what this would mean going forward in terms of his recovery and "coming back" to us as the well loved, full of life and most loving gentleman he was.
Three weeks later, Hayden finally started waking but still unable to speak or follow commands. We soon realised through advice and research that with traumatic brain injury the recovery can take weeks, months and even years to recover from.
His medical insurance in the USA is sadly limited and costly to move him and get him the neurorehab he so urgently requires.
As a family we have struggled (being so far away, in different time zones, trying to understand different insurances and medical systems, never mind not being able to be by his side), with decisions on what the best would be for Hayden and his journey to recovering.
Financially, keeping him in USA would not be feasible, but bringing him back during this Covid time is presenting a most difficult (with restrictions of another level!) and costly affair!
It is now 7 weeks since that aweful call and Hayde's is beginning to answer on command with a nod or shake of the head. This week we got thumbs up and he has slowly started saying words here and there but his cognitive function still has a very long way to go and we haven't even started on his body getting back to full function...!
The left side of his body is working better but his right side still very limited and he has to have someone assist with everything - eating, moving, sitting...
Basically he cannot do anything for himself yet. He is however breathing on his own which we are grateful for!
His progress has been slow but amazing and each victory he makes is HUGE when it comes to brain injury.
Our goal : Bring him back home to South Africa, where we have a neurorehab facility ready and waiting for his arrival, close to his family until he can literally and figuratively get back on his feet and back to life and life in abundance!
What does he need and why we need your help? We honestly don't know... it could very well be a air ambulance / med evac flight that he needs to come back on because commercial is not open to medical patients as yet. Besides that, brain injured patients have a long road to full recovery and we are unsure of requirements (medically or devices or medical equipment like wheel chair etc) in the future to help Haydes back to full health.
So we are aiming high, shooting for the stars and hoping for the BEST!
Hayden is one special guy - Ask anyone that has ever met him or had the chance to hear his laugh and see the twinkle in his eye...He loves unconditionally, befriends anyone he meets and lights up a room with presence :)
We ask that you help us to get Haydes home within the next few weeks and get him setup for one of the hardest journeys of his life - fighting to get his mind, body and soul back to full health!
THANK YOU to everyone who has reached out, called, messaged and shared love on him and us during this time. This most difficult time has also presented great support, networks and friendship forming with people whom we have never and may never meet...! With gratitude we thank you for what you have and will do for Haydes!
https://www.facebook.com/hayden.driemeyer?__tn__=%2CdlC-R-R&eid=ARBMoJ_jr_8IH7bNtaLKuUq4BedVPLKNGreRXm6f40nuEXvOzLbEgZYxKSD6NG7t6CalUuYDUs3aPmHA&hc_ref=ARSibTtBo6bCD3COAhHUdUEYlo-Pa-VYGacZP9e8xNWgrGzQyl0_ug5wBSzCv56nd7k
The call we got on the 25th April in the middle of the night alerted us in South Africa that Hayden (youngest brother of 4 siblings to a close knit family) had been involved in a terrible motor vehicle accident in Florida USA, caused by someone else coming head on into his lane on the freeway from the opposite side of the road.
He was in critical condition in ICU and had had to undergo many surgeries for both broken femurs, a shattered elbow, broken hand, internal bleed and the worst finding out that he had sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury.
We did not know what this would mean going forward in terms of his recovery and "coming back" to us as the well loved, full of life and most loving gentleman he was.
Three weeks later, Hayden finally started waking but still unable to speak or follow commands. We soon realised through advice and research that with traumatic brain injury the recovery can take weeks, months and even years to recover from.
His medical insurance in the USA is sadly limited and costly to move him and get him the neurorehab he so urgently requires.
As a family we have struggled (being so far away, in different time zones, trying to understand different insurances and medical systems, never mind not being able to be by his side), with decisions on what the best would be for Hayden and his journey to recovering.
Financially, keeping him in USA would not be feasible, but bringing him back during this Covid time is presenting a most difficult (with restrictions of another level!) and costly affair!
It is now 7 weeks since that aweful call and Hayde's is beginning to answer on command with a nod or shake of the head. This week we got thumbs up and he has slowly started saying words here and there but his cognitive function still has a very long way to go and we haven't even started on his body getting back to full function...!
The left side of his body is working better but his right side still very limited and he has to have someone assist with everything - eating, moving, sitting...
Basically he cannot do anything for himself yet. He is however breathing on his own which we are grateful for!
His progress has been slow but amazing and each victory he makes is HUGE when it comes to brain injury.
Our goal : Bring him back home to South Africa, where we have a neurorehab facility ready and waiting for his arrival, close to his family until he can literally and figuratively get back on his feet and back to life and life in abundance!
What does he need and why we need your help? We honestly don't know... it could very well be a air ambulance / med evac flight that he needs to come back on because commercial is not open to medical patients as yet. Besides that, brain injured patients have a long road to full recovery and we are unsure of requirements (medically or devices or medical equipment like wheel chair etc) in the future to help Haydes back to full health.
So we are aiming high, shooting for the stars and hoping for the BEST!
Hayden is one special guy - Ask anyone that has ever met him or had the chance to hear his laugh and see the twinkle in his eye...He loves unconditionally, befriends anyone he meets and lights up a room with presence :)
We ask that you help us to get Haydes home within the next few weeks and get him setup for one of the hardest journeys of his life - fighting to get his mind, body and soul back to full health!
THANK YOU to everyone who has reached out, called, messaged and shared love on him and us during this time. This most difficult time has also presented great support, networks and friendship forming with people whom we have never and may never meet...! With gratitude we thank you for what you have and will do for Haydes!
https://www.facebook.com/hayden.driemeyer?__tn__=%2CdlC-R-R&eid=ARBMoJ_jr_8IH7bNtaLKuUq4BedVPLKNGreRXm6f40nuEXvOzLbEgZYxKSD6NG7t6CalUuYDUs3aPmHA&hc_ref=ARSibTtBo6bCD3COAhHUdUEYlo-Pa-VYGacZP9e8xNWgrGzQyl0_ug5wBSzCv56nd7k
Co-organizers (2)
Fran Steart
Organizer
Markham, ON
Robert Masson
Beneficiary
Erwin Driemeyer
Co-organizer