Louie's Healing and Recovery Journey

Most of you are aware that in March of this year, Louie was in a life-altering hit and run motorcycle accident in Phoenix, AZ. The last four months have been nothing short of a whirlwind for him and his immediate friends and family as they have navigated what a new normal will look like for him.

In the accident, Louie suffered extensive facial and skull fractures that required a full facial reconstruction, a shattered hand, extensive damage to his right eye, injuries to parts of his neck and upper spine, and most prominently, a severe brain injury. While he has thankfully healed from the multiple broken bones and surgeries he had in the initial 2 weeks following the accident, the heaviest and most heartbreaking reality we have come to realize over the last few months has been learning that the extent of the brain injury is one that will leave him in need of permanent, full time care.

Not only has his memory been severely compromised (to the extent that he still has no understanding or recollection of what happened, why he is where he is, why his family is not with him because they live out of state, and depending on the day, who his family and friends even are), but the physical limitations he faces include but are not limited to being able to walk, use the restroom himself, feed himself, bathe himself, read, write, and perform countless other daily tasks in a day that his once healthy body were able to do - his right eye will also likely need continued surgeries or removal altogether because the entire eyelid was shredded almost entirely. He is currently receiving multiple forms of therapy daily at the long term care facility he currently resides in in Arizona, and while the progress has been prevalent, it has been slow and he still has a lifetime of healing ahead of him while he at best, he will still never be able to work or live independently again.

Upon learning that the level of care he will need going forward will be as extensive as it is, his family is in the process of pursuing getting long term health insurance and SSD benefits for him to insure that he will receive the care and financial assistance he needs to continue to heal, recover, and live whatever time he has left with the proper love, care, and time with family that he needs and would want.

This is where the need lies - the family's most pressing and urgent goal is to be able to get him to California so that he can be closer to family and friends so that he can have regular visitors and proper advocates. Due to the extreme level of need he still faces, transporting him without medical assistance is out of the question - and medical transport is the type of expense that is insurmountable until long term insurance and/or the civil case with the party who hit him is settled. Either way, the timeline is not in his favor as of now.

This being said, finances to travel to see him, handle affairs to get him transferred, and fill in the financial gaps of medical bills is nearly impossible - let alone while he is in another state.

In the initial weeks following the accident, many of you filled in those gaps in ways his family will never be able to repay or express gratitude for. Asking for help the first time around was not something that came easily, therefore, asking a second time around is not something we take lightly. We are eternally grateful for the ways you all showed up then and could not have asked for more. We had much higher hopes for his outcome than where we are today, but the reality is that due to his continued need, his family assisting him from another state has meant countless hours in a day set aside for medical paperwork and phone calls with doctors, continued medical bills, and the day to day needs of life that are relentless even without a tragic emergency such as this.

If there is any way you would be willing to donate any amount of money so that his family can continue to fight for him to have a level of care that is sufficient for his needs during this time, it would be appreciated beyond words. We understand that finances are tight for everyone right now and do not take one dime for granted. If you are unable to give financially, we ask that you continue to keep him and his family in your prayers and maybe share this with anyone who knows him that this has not yet reached.

We are grateful beyond words that his life was spared and we have him on this side of Heaven with us - regardless of what version of him we have. If you know him, you know that this is far from the version of who he was before the accident, and that this type of request is something he would not want to be his legacy.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read an update on his journey. His family is incredibly grateful for the village he has had and continues to have through this time.