On May 24th, I was in a serious bike accident. The hospital told me I was hit by a car door. I suffered a traumatic brain injury, multiple brain bleeds, and facial fractures. Thanks to the hardworking people at HCMC, I'm going to live, but I face enormous challenges: medical bills, lost income, and replacing my bike. If you can help, I would very much appreciate it.
While riding in the bike lane on a calm Minneapolis street, I’m told someone whipped open the door of their car directly into my path. With no time to stop or adjust, the door caught my entire bicycle and my entire body. I was likely launched forward off the handlebars, over the car door, and my head crashed onto the pavement.
A bystander called 911, and I was rushed to Hennepin County Medical Center by ambulance. Soon after arrival at the trauma center, my condition deteriorated, and I was rushed into CT, which revealed that the impact to my head had caused an extensive bleed. Neurosurgical staff performed an emergency craniotomy, opening my skull to stop the bleeding and remove the blood that had already accumulated.
I spent the next days in the surgical ICU, delirious and disoriented. I required intubation to breathe, IVs to deliver fluids and medicine, and constant care. Decisive action on the part of the neurosurgical team had saved my life. But even though the immediate worst danger level had passed, the state of my recovery was very much incomplete. All manner of nursing and medical staff were entering my room every hour or so to ask me where I was, what day it was — and I was mortified to find that the answers were not coming so quickly at all.
I’d experienced a traumatic brain injury, or TBI, which can have unpredictable and lasting effects. Mine included an epidural hematoma, which involves bleeding into the area between the dura and arachnoid matter and exerts pressure on the outside of the brain. They are extremely dangerous and potentially life-threatening conditions if not cared for with great diligence.
I had the benefit of receiving exceptional immediate post-care for my traumatic brain injury. It’s no exaggeration to say HCMC saved my life and brain function by quickly opening my skull to halt the bleeding and protect my brain from further damage. I’ve had a large number of medical appointments, and a lot more to come, to follow up and assess my recovery.
But this still puts me in the position of needing comprehensive treatment for the impacts of the event, and the costs are quite high.
I will use any donated funds for:
- Lost Time: I’m still not cleared to return to work, and recovery may take months. Disability covers some, but I’ll need money to pay for rent, food, and other expenses as I navigate my short-term disability and gradual return to normalcy.
- Medical Bills: Health insurance will cover some of my treatment, but not all. I face mounting out-of-pocket expenses for the multi-day hospitalization and continuing outpatient care.
- Bike Replacement: My bicycle is gone, so I need to replace it. For extra security in the future, I will want to fit my bike with an always-recording camera.
- Recovery: To support my return to normal life, I will need treatment from specialists to ensure I can perform tasks that were previously uncomplicated for me, and to help recover from the trauma.
Anything you can offer will help keep me stable and support my recovery. Any received in excess of my immediate needs I’ll donate to the Hennepin Healthcare Foundation which supports Minnesota’s largest trauma center, and the Aliveness Project which provides comprehensive HIV patient and prevention services to the Twin Cities community.
I’d appreciate your support as I navigate this scary situation. Anything you can spare will help.
Organizer
