Hope for Gilly - SCI Recovery Fund

On the morning of December 29, 2019, Annelissa Gomez, lovingly referred to as Gilly by her friends, was in a horrific car accident. While driving in the mountains she hit some rocks that had slid into the roadway and as she swerved to miss the metal barrier her car flipped and rolled down the side of the mountain. Fully conscious and unable to move she lay waiting to be found. Thankfully someone finally saw her and made his way down to her. He was going to leave to call for help because there was no cell service but she couldn’t breath and asked him to stay. Miraculously, He got a signal when he approached her window. 40 minutes later help arrived and she was eventually airlifted to the nearest trauma center where she was told she had broken her neck, was paralyzed from the neck down, and would never walk again. She underwent two surgeries to fuse C3-T2 in the back and C6-C7 in the front with metal plates and rods and rebuild bones with donated tissue. She spent 9 days in ICU and was then transferred 4 hours away to a Hospital with a Spinal Cord Injury Rehab Center where she is currently undergoing an intensive therapy program. For those of you that don’t know her, before the accident Gilly was an active 25 year old and a loving and devoted mother to her 6 year old son. She has a great sense of humor and loved spending time with family and friends. She is very creative and a jack of all trades and often shared her many endeavors on social media. She completed (5) AA and AS degrees and planned to pursue her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology. She is an avid Vegan, choosing to do so for health reasons (she lost over 100 lbs), citing that it is good for the environment, and advocating for the humane treatment of animals. She has a big heart and was active on her own and with 209 cares helping the homeless. She was always taking care of sick family members, driving sick relatives to doctor appointments, caring for kids so their parents could work, and generally willing to give the shirt off her back if someone was in need even if it meant she went without. She was always willing to step up and help people however she could. Despite the circumstances she has not lost hope that she will someday regain the use of her hands and legs. As of right now she has limited use of her arms but no movement in her hands or from the chest down. The financial implications of this event have been immediate and ongoing. There have been hotel costs for her son and family while she has been so far from home for over a month now, food while she is in hospital due to their limited vegan options, and clothing due to her special needs. She can no longer work and she has a 6 year old son she supports. Bills are mounting as she remains hospitalized. As she prepares for her new reality, the financial impact becomes more apparent every day. While the insurance will cover some of the costs, there is a lot that it won’t. Her car was totaled and she will now require a van with a ramp that can transport her 350 pound power chair. We have yet to figure out how to even get her home. She will need a hospital bed, bathing equipment, lift, standing frame, adaptive equipment and medical supplies. She will require a 24 hour caregiver. She can’t even return to her home unless modifications can be made or she will have to move permanently. As we look into Specialized SCI rehab that costs as much as $100 an hour we realize how difficult it’s going to be to make sure she is able to get the care and equipment she needs for the best possible outcome. For those of you who have donated, thank you so much! Every donation no matter how big or small is greatly appreciated and will be put to good use. If you can’t donate your positive thoughts and prayers are needed and please share this link if you can. Thank you and God Bless!