Help Ron Come Home After Spinal Cord Injury

On May 30th, Ronald Adler was nearing the end of a bike ride when he lost control of his bike close to home, flipping over his handlebars and sustaining a severe cervical spinal cord injury, resulting in paralysis of all four extremities. He was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he received emergent neurosurgery and a cervical spinal fusion.

Following surgery, Ron spent a week in the neurosurgical ICU before being transferred to the neurosurgical rehabilitation unit. There, he dedicated four weeks to intensive therapy, working hard towards recovery. He has regained some movement in his right foot and hand, as well as in his biceps, and has learned to operate a motorized wheelchair.

Ron is currently at a skilled nursing facility, working incredibly hard towards his goals of recovery, and finally, after months of rehabilitation, he will be discharged home on September 26th!

With his discharge date quickly approaching, Ron and his wife, Susan, are preparing for the transition home. While there is hope for continued progress, he still requires significant assistance with activities of daily living, including mobility, eating, drinking, and personal hygiene. This will include hiring a care aide to assist with daily needs, making essential home modifications for wheelchair accessibility, installing equipment such as a Hoyer lift, and covering the cost of ongoing in-home care, which is unfortunately only partially covered by Medicare and secondary insurance. An estimate of all of these costs, including home care services, supplies, and equipment, exceeds $25,000.

Ron is an avid cyclist and an active member of his local community in Sequim. He averages riding over 4,000 miles a year on his bike and volunteers with Sequim Wheelers, a program that offers free wheelchair bike rides to individuals who cannot ride a bike themselves. Ron has spent his retirement actively giving back and is also the board chair at the Olympic Peninsula Community Clinic (OPCC), which serves low-income and homeless patients. He is a community emergency response team captain for his neighborhood and participates in and coordinates for the OTA singers.

Ron participated in an active lifestyle before this horrific accident, which included spending his days with Susan, walking their two furry children, and enjoying one of his favorite physical activities, biking. This accident has had a significant impact on this lifestyle. Any support towards his healthcare needs to help Ron get back in the saddle and walking his dogs with Susan would be immensely appreciated.

We are hoping to raise money to assist Ron and Susan during the first few months of this difficult transition back into their home. Anything you are able to donate will help support them during this challenging time.