Helping Nikki become independent again!

On July 27th, 2022, Nikki was involved in a head-on collision caused by an irresponsible driver who hit her going over 70mph in a 45mph zone. This tragic accident has left Nikki with many injuries, including a broken left acetabulum (hip socket), a fractured right femur, a fractured right kneecap, a right ACL tear, 4 displaced right ribs and 2 non-displaced left ribs and a crushed right foot. Nikki’s right foot was damaged so severely, and the impact was so traumatic that the skin on her foot was degloved, meaning it would not attach to the muscle, tendons, or bone below it.

After Nikki’s 2nd femur surgery, the Drs informed her that she would need to make a decision regarding her right foot. Option 1: have an estimated 20+ additional surgeries over several years to reconstruct her right foot completely, or Option 2: have her right foot amputated now. After considering her options, Nikki made the extremely difficult decision to go ahead and have the amputation done now, as the Drs had told her that many people who have had the reconstruction end up having an amputation done 5 years later anyway.

The amputation surgery took place on Aug 3rd. After Nikki’s amputation, the surgeon reassured her that she had made the right decision as the blood flow to the right foot was barely there, leaving over half of her foot considered dead. After 4 surgeries (the 4th being the amputation), Nikki was able to move from the hospital to Mary Free Bed for rehab!

Fortunately, Nikki has good car insurance that will cover a lot of her medical bills, but there will still be many other bills and co-pays that will add up and not be covered. In addition, Nikki will need to purchase things that will be required to adapt to her new life and not having her right foot.

As most people know, Michigan is a no-fault insurance state. What that means for Nikki’s situation is that the person who caused this accident may or may not have to pay for much. This will leave Nikki to pay for the damage that he caused. Nikki is not one to reach out and ask for help. She enjoys her independence and is proud to be able to do things on her own.

Since the accident, the extra bills are starting to pile up, and they could realistically leave Nikki financially bankrupt. This journey has been EXTREMELY difficult for her. However, Nikki is trying to keep her spirits as high as she can and is counting her blessings that she is alive.

I have started this GoFundMe for Nikki to help alleviate some of the financial stress on her, so she can focus all her energy on her rehab and learning to navigate her new life moving forward. As we know, Nikki’s career is being a chef, which is not exactly a desk job! Nikki has a lot she must re-learn to navigate her future life, even the simplest everyday activities like walking and driving, so she can return to being her independent self! All donations received thru this fund will go straight to Nikki for her to use to cover her obligations to get her back to independence!