HELP SHANE

This is my son, Shane Alexander Horton - brilliant, beautiful, musically gifted, hilarious, always kind & supportive to those less fortunate. He was studying psychology, studio production, composing music and teaching himself Japanese. Ten days after his 19th birthday, on December 29, 2012, Shane suffered a traumatic brain injury, went into a coma and our lives stopped. He was transferred from ICU in Santa Maria to a sub-acute unit in Camarillo, and I left my job of 8 years to move close to the hospital. Shane only receives physical therapy every 3 months, so I give the best PT I can, verbal and musical stimulation, and a mother's advocacy and devoted love on a daily basis. The reason I am reaching out for financial assistance is to transport Shane to USC to meet with a neurologist who my friend Kandy from our Brain Injury Support Group put me in contact with. This is a huge opportunity as apparently it is practically impossible to schedule an appt. at a large research hospital unless you know a doctor. She will be performing tests and once Shane has his "foot in the door" he will have the potential to receive the latest in advanced technology. His insurance (which is increasing by over $80 pr. mo.) will cover the appt. and EEG, but not the transportation which has been quoted as $800 round trip plus $35 pr. hr. waiting time. I may also have to hire a nurse to accompany us, and further tests may not be covered. With great luck, he will also receive medical treatment. Shane is young and healthy in every other way, has shown some improvements, and as his mother I am obviously seeking the best possible treatment and recovery for him. I cannot schedule his appt. until I have enough money for transportation and I do not want to miss out on this chance for him. I am also hoping to raise additional funds so I can attend a brain injury conference February 5-7, 2015, located in Santa Clara, which focusses in part on acute & chronic treatment, new technology and stem cell research. I have volunteered to defray costs, but travelling from Ventura and accommodations are approximately $600. Any information and contacts will be of great benefit to not only Shane and our family, but to families at the hospital and BIC. My husbank lost his job 6 months prior to Shane's tragedy, and we ultimately had to walk away from our house in Los Alamos. My vision, hope and prayers are for Shane's full recovery and to make a new home to bring him to, and for him to continue what he started at a young age - helping others, especially after all he has experienced. Thank you everyone for your support, and spreading the word about this campaign to your family, friends, and colleagues. Any donations will be so greatly appreciated, and I will update on Shane's progress. As Stephen Hawking said "Where There Is Life, There Is Hope". We will never give up!.