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Rally4Rick: Paralyzed then Flooded

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Enrique “Rick” Elizondo is not only a great neighbor and friend, he is one of the hardest working, most giving, young men, you’ll ever meet.  When he wasn’t at his job, he was “that guy” who was always out working in the yard, on the house, or on the cars. 

On August 13th, just two weeks before Hurricane Harvey hit, 37-year-old Rick was on a man lift painting his two-story home when he fell and suffered life-changing injuries.  When his daughter ran to our house yelling, “Rick fell!  We need help!” We immediately rushed over and found Rick beside the man lift on the concrete with a pool of blood under his head. He was carried by Life Flight to Memorial Herman Hospital where doctors worked tirelessly to save him.


He remained in ICU for over two weeks with a serious brain bleed, over 2,000 cc,s of fluid in his lungs,  and crushed vertebrae in the thoracic region of his spine.  Despite surgical efforts to repair his spinal column, due to the severity of the injury to the spinal cord, the accident resulted in complete paralysis of both legs.  To prepare the family for the worst, the doctors informed them that with a complete spinal injury, like the one Rick had experienced, there was a very slim chance of recovery. 

After falling from the man lift, his wife, Janie, never left his side in ICU and was even at the hospital with Rick as Hurricane Harvey destroyed their home.  After the storm, while Rick and Janie were still at Memorial Hermann, family members and friends helped tear out sheetrock and carried all of their ruined belongings to the trash pile outside.  

Once the hospital had done everything possible, Rick was then moved straight from Memorial Herman to Texas Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR) where he stayed from August 28th until being released on October 12th. 


Unfortunately, despite being released to go home, he had no livable home to return to.  Sadly, Rick had just recently remodeled his home before the accident by pouring concrete countertops and building wooden cabinets himself.  Unfortunately, all of his work and everything downstairs was ruined…the newly remodeled kitchen, all appliances, kitchen items, all furniture, everything.

Sadly, but unbelievably, this was not the first time Rick and Janie were met with tragedy. On the exact same day, August 13th, two years prior they lost their baby son, Levi, a few weeks before his due date.  Rick and Janie, who normally have their son, daughter, and 5-year-old granddaughter living with them, are currently living with Janie’s brother in a home that is not wheelchair accessible and the rest of the family is split up right now and living in different locations.


Your much-needed contribution will help alleviate some of the financial stress associated with such a tragic accident, which will allow Janie and Rick to fully focus on his physical and emotional healing.  All funds will go directly to helping pay medical expenses for treatment, rehabilitation, and therapy. 
They will also be used to help not only put Rick and Janie’s flood-ravaged house back together but to also make it handicap/wheelchair accessible.   Currently, all of the bedrooms are on the second floor, so this will take quite an effort to rearrange their home.  Please help my beautiful neighbors get back home and on the road to recovery.

No amount is too small and will be greatly appreciated.  We understand not everyone can donate, but circulating Rick’s story, and ADDING him to your daily PRAYER LIST would be a tremendous help as well!  So, please, please share Rick's story by sharing this link on all of your social media and help us bring Rick and his family back to a livable, accessible home.

Despite his prognosis, everyone around Rick is staying positive and praying for a miracle!

Thank you in advance for all contributions, support, thoughts, and prayers!
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Donations 

  • Victoria alvarado
    • $25 
    • 6 yrs
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Organizer and beneficiary

Jennifer Merritt Meier
Organizer
Dickinson, TX
Enrique Elizondo
Beneficiary

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