On November 12, 2021, Ron and Sandra DeMet received the knock at the door every parent dreads.

Their 20 year old daughter had been involved in a very serious car crash, and had been transported to

Sentara Trauma Intensive Care Unit. Her injuries included abdominal bleeding, partial loss of her

pancreas, severe TBI, broken mandible and upper jaw plate, tracheotomy, and both femurs broken, as

well as many other broken bones. The doctors needed to remove a section of her skull to allow the

brain to swell without pressure. Throughout all these procedures, Ale suffered a stroke and remains

deficient on her left side. She spent 6 weeks in the ICU, followed by 5 ½ weeks in their inpatient rehab

to recover.

The family has exhausted all their paid time off to care for Ale, and, as we all know, insurance only

covers a portion of medical bills. In addition, many renovations need to be made to their home to

accommodate the wheelchair Ale uses. This includes an outside ramp and indoor stair lift, which is not

covered by insurance.

Ron is a 24 year Army veteran. Additionally, he has more than ten years working with at-risk youth and

Sandra works for the community. They have dedicated their lives to helping others. They value their

privacy and abide by the “self help” philosophy, but no one can do this alone and they shouldn’t have to.

Please contribute whatever amount you can to offset their large expenses.