Help Mary Walk Again: Support Her Recovery

Please Help Mary Recover from a Life-Changing Spinal Cord Injury

“On January 16, 2025, our lives changed forever” John Navarro, Mary’s husband

I was puttering in the garage, like I often do, when I heard a terrible crash in the house. I ran inside and found Mary, my beloved wife of 42 years, lying on the floor with a blank stare. Stroke? Seizure? Heart attack? Within five minutes, paramedics arrived and quickly ruled out those possibilities. But something was terribly wrong.

A Devastating Diagnosis

When I reached the hospital, Mary was in a neck brace. I thought it was a routine precaution. But after inconclusive CT scans, she was rushed to a trauma center. Just before midnight, an MRI confirmed the unimaginable: a mid-level spinal cord injury had left her in a state of quadrapalesia.

She had fallen in just the wrong way. Years of arthritis and severe bone spurs had trapped her spinal cord on impact. Though the emergency surgery went well, her spinal cord was severely bruised. Mary could not move.

Her surgeon offered us hope: “You will walk.” But the road to recovery would be long and difficult.

Mary’s Legacy of Service

Mary is a 71-year-old retired California public school educator who devoted her life to helping others. She taught compassion, generosity, and bridge-building across political, generational, and cultural divides. Her quiet strength has touched so many lives — and now, she needs help from the community she gave so much to.

A Broken Healthcare System

We soon discovered just how fragmented and inadequate our healthcare system can be. Mary was shuffled between multiple “in-network” facilities, none of which could provide the full, specialized care she needed. When she was finally admitted to a teaching hospital with a dedicated rehabilitation team, we felt relief and hope.

But after just 34 days, Medicare and our insurer said her time was up. Continuing care out-of-pocket would have cost $2,300 per day. Worse yet, paying privately could jeopardize her future Medicare benefits. We were trapped.

Mary is now at a boarding home capable of the 24hr care she needs. She is professionally transported 3 times a week to Casa Colina for physical therapy required for her recovery. Our current costs out of pocket are $18,000 a month which is unsustainable without your help.

Why We’re Asking for Help

Despite a lifetime of paying into the system, we — like so many Americans — are now facing the crushing financial burden of catastrophic illness. Two-thirds of U.S. bankruptcies are due to medical expenses. This could happen to anyone.

Mary’s best chance at recovery is through consistent, specialized time-sensitive rehabilitation for the next year. Our goal of $200,000 will go directly toward:

• Extended outpatient rehabilitation

• Boarding costs a 24hr care facility

• Adaptive equipment and mobility aids

• Eventually, at-home care support

Every dollar you give will help Mary in her long road to recovery: to regain her independence and one day walk again.

How You Can Help

We are calling all angels to please contribute to Mary’s recovery. No gift is too small — and every act of generosity brings us closer to her walking again. If you’re unable to give, sharing this story with your network would mean the world to us.

With heartfelt thanks and blessings,

We need your help,

The Navarro Family