Keep on rollin! Help Levi after becoming paralyzed
Donation protected
Hi! My name is Mordeky and I’m helping raise funds for my partner Levi.
Levi has a genetic disorder that causes severe back pain and joint instability, and has switched between a wheelchair and walking with mobility aids for the last 6 years. Recently, that condition, combined with a spinal injury, has resulted in Levi becoming paralyzed from the waist down. He is now completely dependent on a wheelchair for his most basic daily functions, completely unable to use his lower body to stand or walk in any way. The wheelchair he currently uses was built for another person, and it hurts his upper back and shoulders, which limits his mobility and poses a serious risk to his future functioning. His upper body is all he has to move himself around now.
Levi is an extremely compassionate and motivated person and has dedicated the last few years to community education and mutual aid, founding a grassroots outreach organization to help those most in need of support out on the streets of Portland and teach people of all ages and backgrounds how to support their peers in preventing and responding to opioid overdose. His background in the foster care system has also led him to serve as a mentor for youth in the system in previous years. Because of his recent paralysis, Levi has had to stop doing the work he has dedicated his life to.
His potential recovery is very long term, requiring several years of physical therapy, though he will likely be using a wheelchair for the rest of his life Because of a complicated situation with his insurance provider, Levi will have to wait at least a year to get a custom wheelchair covered, IF we are able to successfully appeal his insurance. Due to his genetic condition, he has been unable to hold a steady job without causing significant pain and damage to his body, and has been unemployed for about a year now, leaving him with no income and no way to pay for a wheelchair himself. Using an ill-fitting wheelchair daily is the equivalent of climbing a mountain in flip-flops, he must preserve the health and function of his upper body to continue functioning.
Additionally, Levi lives alone in an apartment that is not suited to the needs of a paraplegic wheelchair user. His insurance will not cover any adaptive equipment like a shower transfer bench or handrails for the bathroom or bedroom. He currently cannot perform most daily tasks on his own and is grieving his independence. Everyone deserves the opportunity to live independently, and it is unknown when or if he will be approved for any kind of in-home caregiving or SSDI payments. Both are a lengthy, difficult process, taking more time than we have with this situation.
He is also now unable to drive without the function of his feet and legs, but was approved by a local driving rehabilitation program to learn to drive with hand controls. It is an expensive program, and the ODOT approved equipment is even more expensive to have installed. This is the more cost-effective option as opposed to purchasing a wheelchair van. We want to help him get driving again as soon as possible so he can attend medical appointments, resume work with his non-profit, and continue to spend time with family and engage with his community.
Levi is a loyal friend and partner, and patient, dedicated god-father to a 14 month old girl and a boy on the way. His presence brings joy and comfort to the lives of all who love him, and we all want to get him the necessary equipment to live independently and preserve his upper body function, get him driving again and support him in his recovery to continue to be the vibrant person we know him to be.
Levi has a genetic disorder that causes severe back pain and joint instability, and has switched between a wheelchair and walking with mobility aids for the last 6 years. Recently, that condition, combined with a spinal injury, has resulted in Levi becoming paralyzed from the waist down. He is now completely dependent on a wheelchair for his most basic daily functions, completely unable to use his lower body to stand or walk in any way. The wheelchair he currently uses was built for another person, and it hurts his upper back and shoulders, which limits his mobility and poses a serious risk to his future functioning. His upper body is all he has to move himself around now.
Levi is an extremely compassionate and motivated person and has dedicated the last few years to community education and mutual aid, founding a grassroots outreach organization to help those most in need of support out on the streets of Portland and teach people of all ages and backgrounds how to support their peers in preventing and responding to opioid overdose. His background in the foster care system has also led him to serve as a mentor for youth in the system in previous years. Because of his recent paralysis, Levi has had to stop doing the work he has dedicated his life to.
His potential recovery is very long term, requiring several years of physical therapy, though he will likely be using a wheelchair for the rest of his life Because of a complicated situation with his insurance provider, Levi will have to wait at least a year to get a custom wheelchair covered, IF we are able to successfully appeal his insurance. Due to his genetic condition, he has been unable to hold a steady job without causing significant pain and damage to his body, and has been unemployed for about a year now, leaving him with no income and no way to pay for a wheelchair himself. Using an ill-fitting wheelchair daily is the equivalent of climbing a mountain in flip-flops, he must preserve the health and function of his upper body to continue functioning.
Additionally, Levi lives alone in an apartment that is not suited to the needs of a paraplegic wheelchair user. His insurance will not cover any adaptive equipment like a shower transfer bench or handrails for the bathroom or bedroom. He currently cannot perform most daily tasks on his own and is grieving his independence. Everyone deserves the opportunity to live independently, and it is unknown when or if he will be approved for any kind of in-home caregiving or SSDI payments. Both are a lengthy, difficult process, taking more time than we have with this situation.
He is also now unable to drive without the function of his feet and legs, but was approved by a local driving rehabilitation program to learn to drive with hand controls. It is an expensive program, and the ODOT approved equipment is even more expensive to have installed. This is the more cost-effective option as opposed to purchasing a wheelchair van. We want to help him get driving again as soon as possible so he can attend medical appointments, resume work with his non-profit, and continue to spend time with family and engage with his community.
Levi is a loyal friend and partner, and patient, dedicated god-father to a 14 month old girl and a boy on the way. His presence brings joy and comfort to the lives of all who love him, and we all want to get him the necessary equipment to live independently and preserve his upper body function, get him driving again and support him in his recovery to continue to be the vibrant person we know him to be.
Organizer
Mordeky Dullum
Organizer
Portland, OR