Help Marvin Hire Caregivers
Donation protected
Marvin Berry needs your help! If 15,000 people donate $10 each, he can hire the help he desperately needs.
Marvin was shot in the neck when he was just 7 years old, and has lived the rest of his life as a quadriplegic - meaning he does not have the use of his arms or legs and uses an electric wheelchair to get around. This means that he needs 24/7 care to accomplish most of his daily tasks, such as getting from his bed to his chair, taking a shower, getting dressed, and eating meals. Unfortunately, due to the limitations of the TennCare CHOICES program, Marvin can only pay potential caregivers $13 an hour, and as such he is currently struggling to find anyone who is willing to work for him, especially with this post-COVID economy and nursing shortage.
If we can raise enough money, Marvin will be able to pay out-of -pocket wages much higher than those provided by TennCare, which we hope will allow him to finally hire some quality, 24/7 caregivers.
Marvin was shot in the neck when he was just 7 years old, and has lived the rest of his life as a quadriplegic - meaning he does not have the use of his arms or legs and uses an electric wheelchair to get around. This means that he needs 24/7 care to accomplish most of his daily tasks, such as getting from his bed to his chair, taking a shower, getting dressed, and eating meals. Unfortunately, due to the limitations of the TennCare CHOICES program, Marvin can only pay potential caregivers $13 an hour, and as such he is currently struggling to find anyone who is willing to work for him, especially with this post-COVID economy and nursing shortage.
If we can raise enough money, Marvin will be able to pay out-of -pocket wages much higher than those provided by TennCare, which we hope will allow him to finally hire some quality, 24/7 caregivers.
ABOUT MARVIN:
Marvin served on the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Justice Center for six years, and was inducted into the Tennessee Justice Center's Hall of Fame this year. He and other plaintiffs changed TennCare, making it possible for people with disabilities to live independently and not be committed to nursing homes. Watch this short video where you'll hear Michele Johnson and Gordon Bonnyman talk about what a difference Marvin made for thousands of Tennesseans:
Marvin's earliest memories after his injury, while in the ICU on a ventilator, were hearing the doctors tell his family that with such a high level pediatric spinal cord injury (C4-C5) they only expected him to live another 20 years at the most. He just recently celebrated his 49th birthday.
His injury didn't stop Marvin from going back to school in the fourth grade. He is the first in his family to finish high school, and is also the first to graduate from college - his degree is in finance and business administration.
The life saving rehabilitation Marvin underwent brought him to many of the best pediatric treatment centers in the country, including:
The Vanderbilt Childrens Hospital (from 7-10 years old); the Spain Rehabilitation Center (at 9 years old); and the Shriners Childrens Hospital (from 11-18 years old).
In 1985, during one of his stays at the Shriners Hospital, Marvin vividly remembers a visit from the G.O.A.T himself, Michael Jordan, who was also injured at the time. That meeting affected Marvin deeply because Mr. Jordan went out of his way to visit others at a time when he could have only focused on himself.
Marvin’s dream is to start a non profit to support children and young adults who suffer from pediatric spinal cord injuries. Marvin wants to help them see that their lives are not over, that they're not alone, and that their futures are always bright.
CONTACT INFO:
Thank you very much for getting to the end of this story. Your attention is evidence that you care and we deeply appreciate that you gave your time to learning more about Marvin.
Fundraising team (2)
Mary Flipse
Organizer
Briarwood, TN
MARVIN BERRY
Team member
