Amberlea's Medical Fund

Amberlea Smith is a 16-year-old Junior at Ninety Six High School who was in a horrible car accident on Thursday, February 4th on Airport Road in Greenwood, SC.  She was glancing down at her phone when she ran off the road going around a curve and hit the trees.  The crash caused the engine to fall inward and onto her shins and feet, resulting in small burns and very serious damage to the bones in her feet and ankles.  Though her airbags did deploy upon impact, the force was such that the steering wheel broke off entirely and broke both of her femur bones.  She was airlifted via helicopter to Greenville Memorial Hospital, where she underwent a 12-hour surgery.  During those 12 hours, four surgeons managed to piece her back together with need for only one future surgery.  She had two titanium rods placed inside her femur bones, had plates and screws put in her feet and ankles, and received a few stiches.  By some miracle, she escaped the crash with her life and with no internal damage, or even a scratch on her face.  She was discharged from the hospital on Saturday, February 12th, and her family has set up a wheelchair accessible room for her on the main level of the house.  She has a long recovery ahead of her and will have to take a semester off of school, but still considers herself very lucky.  

     Amber's family finally returned home after spending over a week in a hospital room with her, grieving over how difficult it was to watch her battle such pain. Now, they are faced not only with the difficult months it will take for Amber to recover, but huge amounts of medical debt which they have no funds for.  The helicopter ride alone costs approximately $34,000, and it is estimated that the cost of the surgery and the time spent in the hospital will cost nearly $250,000.  These numbers do not include the costs of the nurses that will be visiting the house or the days she will spend in rehabilitation and physical therapy.  Thankfully, the family does have insurance which they hope will cover much of the costs, and expects to be able to appeal the cost of the helicopter ride.  However, that still leaves them with so much more than they can handle in debt.  As you can imagine, this has been very stressful for Amber's family.  Anyone who knows the Smith family knows that they would never ask for monetary help of any kind unless they truly needed it.  Her family is tremendously thankful for the friends and family members that have rallied around them in prayer and support.  And if prayers are all you are able to give, they will appreciate even a brief prayer greatly.