Dear friends and family,
On the morning of Friday, January 15th, my brother Omar, AKA OB, was involved in a horrific car accident. He was fortunate enough to make it out alive only by the grace of God. Alhamdulillah - God is Great.
As most of us followed my brothers journey on Instagram or facebook (OBlife), he embarked on a cross-country journey, seeking adventure, beautiful views and sharing his story with the world. On day 52 of his travels, Omar found himself on a beautiful beach in Santa Monica, CA. He decided to stay the night in hopes of departing to San Diego the following morning.
That morning around 4 AM PST, we received a call from Omar that shook our family to the core. Omar was in the back of his truck resting when he was struck by a driver who lost control of his vehicle, crashing into him at around 65mph. My brother was able to call the family and inform us of the situation, but was unable to move or walk. After close to an hour of laying on the street, he was finally transported to Providence Saint John's Hospital in Santa Monica for medical attention.
Omar suffered a cervical spine injury that could have easily turned into paralysis or death. There was movement in his vertebrae and doctors recommended fusing of his C3 and C4 to correct the movement in his neck. X-rays also showed fractures in the middle, thoracic region of his spine. He spent a total of 9 days at the hospital, healing and relearning how to eat and walk. He now has to wear both a neck and back brace to move around. Omar handled the entire process with so much strength and positivity, and letting everyone know of his daily progress. It was very hard for me and the family being on the east coast and not able to do anything to help. As of now, Omar has a long road to recovery ahead of him and will most likely need a complete change in lifestyle. Doctors say it would take 18-24 months for him to fully recover and we are hopeful that he will get through this in no time InshaAllah.
It has been a lengthy and exhausting process trying to obtain information about the other driver. LAPD has not been very helpful with this matter and Omar's situation does not look very promising. We are unsure if the other driver had insurance or not, and there is a possibility that it may turn into a lengthy lawsuit. Aside from my brothers pain and suffering and his totaled vehicle, there will be an enormous amount of medical bills to take care of. Unfortunately, Omar did not have medical insurance at that time which makes matters more difficult. We are currently working on getting him government assistance to help cover some of the costs. We are also talking to numerous lawyers to determine the best way to get him justice.
As his sister, I would love to be able to help my older brother out in anyway I can. We have not received any bills yet, but know that they will start pouring in. It would mean a lot to me and my family if we can come together to help Omar through these tough times. When I mentioned starting a GoFundMe page to Omar, he was reluctant to set one up. He agreed to it, contingent that 20% of what is raised is donated to a charity organization. More details on that to come.
On behalf of the Budwan family, we want to thank you all for your prayers, support, and encouragement during these time. If you are able to donate any amount, the family would be very grateful, and if not, know that we appreciate all the love and support you’ve shown thus far. We ask that you share this with your family and friends and we will keep you all posted on Omar’s condition and progress, and pray for a speedy recovery so that he can continue his travels and sharing his future journeys to come. Together we can make this transition a little easier on Omar and my family. May God reward you all for your kindness and generosity.
Much love,
Iman & the Budwan Family
