Roger Medanich's Recovery Fund

This is my first time ever doing something like this so please excuse the length of the narrative. My friend, Roger Medanich, recently had a stroke due to fungal meningitis. The immediate effects of the stroke were profound. Loss of mobility, double vision and diminished cognitive abilities. He was unable to care for himself. Luckily, he had another friend who was able to stay with him and get him on a path to recovery. That path has been very expensive and Roger’s finances are approaching a critical level.

I first got to know Roger when he worked for me as a driver on the “Ninja Turtles” TV show. It was so obvious he was working in a capacity so far below his talents. He quickly became a coordinator, then my Office Manager and finally Head of Operations. Most importantly, he became a trusted friend who helped me immensely through the best of times and the worst of times. He gave his time outside the office to me and others without question.

Roger was living and working in Sacramento at the time of the stroke and did not have much of a local support network. It was decided at the end of August to bring Roger back to the Los Angeles area where he could reconnect with and be close to old friends. We were under intense pressure to relocate him immediately and due to some questionable determinations by multiple facilities, we had to move him somewhere not as geographically convenient as we would have liked.

Roger is now in an assisted living facility in Palm Springs that caters to the LGBT community and has shown tremendous improvement on almost a daily basis. He has just gotten his MediCal insurance transferred to Riverside County and will finally be able to see the specialists that will allow him to receive the further treatment and clearances he needs to get himself back into the work force. This includes a full neurological screening to see if there are any lingering or permanent effects from the stroke. Along with the screening, he needs to be evaluated and medically cleared to drive. Once he gets these things done, he hopes to move out of the living facility, reenter the work force, get health insurance and be self-sufficient once again.

Anyone who knows Roger knows how much he hates being reliant on anyone for anything. He was always the one that was there for the people who needed help around him. Donating his time and resources to the people and things that mattered to him, e.g., Animal Rescue, AIDs Ride, Project AIDs LA and many others. It is now time for us to help him.

Roger does not know I am launching this campaign and will not be happy about it. He is intensely private when it comes to matters like this but we are reaching a critical point in his care and financial situation. We cannot jeopardize the great progress he’s made over the last several months. The money he gets from EDD doesn’t cover his living expenses, medication or other medical costs. Other personal friends who have been assisting financially cannot be asked to continue much longer. His situation is approaching the critical mark.

The financial goal set here in the campaign is really open ended as we really still don’t know the long-term effects of the brain injury he suffered. The hope is that he is past the worst and self-sufficiency is on the immediate horizon.

Thank you for taking the time to read this plea. We will be eternally grateful for any monetary help you can give.