Help support Max’s family through these tough times MCHS ‘25

Update and edit on Max’s journey: The immediate outpouring of donations and support from people both near and far has been a tremendous blessing to Max’s recovery thus far, for both Max and his family.

These are the words of Shancy, his mother…

On April 19, I received the call that every parent fears—a moment that shattered my world. My son, Max, had been in a catastrophic car accident. His truck flipped multiple times, and he was ejected from the vehicle. He was airlifted to Vanderbilt Medical Center in critical condition, his body battered, his lungs collapsed, his heart bruised, and his brain severely injured. Max was placed on life support.

The doctors told us he had a traumatic brain injury—a subdural hematoma, a subarachnoid hemorrhage, and diffuse axonal injury to the frontal lobe. Every hour was a question of survival. We lived in a nightmare, clinging to hope while watching machines keep our son alive.

By a miracle, Max survived the critical phase. He’s now at Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehabilitation, but the road ahead is long.

He still cannot function like he used to. He is struggling with short term memory loss, confusion, and ability to complete daily tasks. The doctors believe that Max’s best chance at reclaiming his life lies in an intensive brain injury rehabilitation program at QLI in Omaha, Nebraska—a specialized facility known for helping people like Max recover not just medically, but meaningfully.

This is his only real shot at getting his life back.

But we’ve just been told that his insurance—after covering so much—has denied coverage for this essential treatment. It’s devastating. Max needs this therapy. Without it, he may never regain the independence, personality, and purpose he once had. As a mother, I am begging—for your help.

We are now faced with the unthinkable: to raise the funds ourselves. Every donation, every share, every act of kindness will go directly toward Max’s treatment, travel, housing, and continued care. We can’t do this alone—but with your help, we can give Max the chance he deserves.

Please consider donating, sharing, and praying for my sweet boy. Help us bring Max back.

Original post:

My name is Erica Anderson, I am reaching out for help to ease the financial burden the parents of Max Bumpus are facing as they watch over his long road to recovery. When push comes to shove the MCHS community has come together many times before to work through tragedy. On the night of 4/19/25 Max was in a horrific car accident he was ejected out the front window about 30 feet. Max has frontal lobe head trauma, a fractured eye orbit, broken nose, and swelling on his brain. He does not have a brain bleed which is good. He’s covered in road rash. Right now the biggest concern is his lungs. At some point he aspirated and got vomit in his lungs. Because of this he is not exchanging oxygen like he needs to. They originally put a chest tube in both lungs but that didn’t help. So they put him on ecmo which is basically an artificial set of lungs that exchanges oxygen for him. And have inserted a probe in his brain to measure the pressure. When he first came in he was non responsive but at one point this morning he did raise both arms and is responding to certain voices or us holding his hand. We ask for perpetual prayer, he is in the best hands possible, the care team at Vanderbilt and our Heavenly Father. Max has his family at his side to encourage him. They tell him that his many friends and their families are wishing him well. Max is a tough young man, but right now he needs all the help he can get. As so many of us can imagine, this is any parents worst nightmare. Please contribute however you can, share this link far and wide, but most of all please pray for Max and his family.