If you don’t know Madee, she is a brilliant, energetic, passionate, and out-going individual with a world of potential. Unfortunately, she has found herself in a position where she needs the help of her community.

On July 6th, Madee was working as an intern doing Natural Resources Vegetation Restoration when she was involved in a serious accident. While she was hard at work, a strawberry guava tree fell directly on top of her, causing serious head and spinal injury. In a single moment, her life was changed forever. Prior to this day, Madee was an NCAA athlete, attending UH Manoa on a track scholarship. The injuries she sustained took her from running miles each day to temporary paralysis, and having to re-learn how to walk. The doctors have said that she will likely never regain the feeling in her feet again, and may have chronic pain for the rest of her life.

Beyond the mental and physical pain she has had to undergo, Madee has also been left in a difficult financial situation. Because of the accident, she has been forced into medical retirement from UH track and field, and has lost her scholarship. Madee is entering her senior year as a Global Environmental Science major, but needs our help to finish up. We are asking for $20,000 to help her stay on track for a career in conservation, which she is so passionate about. While workers comp claims should eventually cover medical expenses, in the meantime this will help her with living expenses and the loans she has had to take in order to make ends meet while trying to finish off her last year of school. Any and all support from friends, family, and community members will help to both encourage her and take some financial pressure off of her while she focuses on recovering and finishing school.