Nathan's Journey to Recovery: Your Help Needed

On Wednesday, July 17, 2024, the Disori family received a devastating phone call from a police officer. Their son, 17-year-old Nathan, my nephew, was a passenger in an automobile accident. They were told he was transported to the trauma center and was “alert”. Their lives halted, they jumped in the car, and were on the longest road trip of their lives, nearly 5 hours to get to him. So many questions and what ifs ran through their minds as my sister, Brenda, her husband Chris, and their daughter Marissa made their way to Reading, PA to be with their son and brother.

Nathan had taken a trip to Reading, PA to spend time with one of his cousins. They had been getting a ton of rain there and as the boys were less than 5 minutes from their destination, they hit standing water on the roadway and began to hydroplane. The tires ended up hitting the shoulder and sent them spinning into a large tree. The impact sent them airborne and twirling the car around as it flew into multiple trees, backwards. The car windows exploded on them from the impacts. By the grace of God, Nathan was able to crawl out his broken window and call 911 for help. His cousin was alert but stuck in the car; it took the jaws of life to get him out.

When the family arrived, Nathan had just gotten out of surgery due to the large, deep laceration that exposed his ankle and cut the joint capsule. He had a ton of glass and debris inside the laceration, which the doctors cleaned out before sewing him up. After his surgery, he had severe abdominal pain. He was rushed into surgery again for internal bleeding and a rupture in his small intestine. They removed 6 inches of his intestine and cleaned the toxins from his body cavity. He is left with a partially open, 8-inch incision on his abdomen. Brenda changes his dressing daily, which is hard on both her and Nathan. He will always be reminded of what he endured by the scar that will remain.

Nathan is so lucky to be alive! A tree was inches from hitting his door and the outcome could have been much worse. He was released from the hospital a week later and they made the nearly five hour trip back home to Pittsburgh where he is recovering. He has a long road ahead of him, with numerous doctor follow ups and physical therapy visits. Nathan is an avid sports athlete and was told he will not be able to play sports for several months, which was devastating to him as he was gearing up for his fall season of soccer.

While Nathan is at home recovering, Brenda will not be able to work. They will be without her income to help cover the numerous medical expenses that insurance companies don’t cover. This family does so much for their community. Nathan is working towards becoming an eagle scout and gives back in ways that most his age don’t think of. They are involved with their church and loved by all. If able, please consider helping this family stay on their feet. Thank you for any contribution you can make and please keep the prayers coming! God Bless You!