My name is Ryan Root (52). I live with my wife, Sonya (48), in Scarborough, Maine, in her father’s small house, a place we’ve been fortunate to care for and support while working to recover from past financial setbacks. We’re proud parents of two inspirational daughters. Maren (22) is entering her second year at Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Cambridge, where she continues to grow as a talented artist. Nova (16) is a passionate and aspiring writer who is excelling academically and searching for the best college to support her dreams.

On June 2nd, my youngest brother, Evan (41), arrived back in his home state of Maine after a devastating car accident in Florida. He arrived in a wheelchair, with a bag and a suitcase, in excruciating pain, full of emotional anguish, and entirely unsure of what came next. He was physically broken, emotionally depleted, and had nowhere to go. Compelled to provide him with a healing space, we welcomed him to the spare bedroom in the basement of our home.

On the morning of May 12th, Evan fell asleep at the wheel and collided head-on with another car. Thankfully, the other driver sustained only a minor injury, and Evan faced no charges. But his physical damage was extensive: a broken pelvis, broken knee, broken wrist, and contusion to the face that resulted in a loss of vision in his left eye. Fortunately, due to excellent care from Maine Eye Care, he is undergoing surgical operations to restore his vision in that eye.

While in Florida, Evan underwent surgery to repair his pelvis and nasal cavity, but lasting impacts remain. Also, for the first time in his life he’s experiencing grand mal seizures. This has happened four times this year, twice in Florida and twice at our home in Maine. These were frightening experiences for us, but from our personal observation and the results of tests at the hospital, it is apparent that these seizures are highly influenced by the presence of and relief of stress. This is not surprising, considering Evan’s injuries, his emotional trauma, the weight of struggling to take care of his family, and the need to rebuild his life from scratch. A neurology appointment is scheduled for Evan in November.

While accepting Evan into our home, I immediately encouraged the rebuilding of our relationship that had faded over time. In the time I’ve had with Evan, so far, I have learned so much that I didn’t know. I’ve learned that he was exposed to harmful substances at age 14 by a neighborhood parent and that his years of struggling with addiction are rooted in trauma and loss. Evan is fully aware of the consequences of his past and is committed to rebuilding his life. The compounded emotional strain he endures is deeply evident. Therapy is scheduled to start for Evan in October.

After losing our father to brain cancer, and his job, Evan moved to Florida under duress. Isolated from family for the first time and grieving, he fell into addiction—a path that led to a felony conviction and jail time. Evan isn’t shying away from this truth. He’s facing it head-on, knowing it will affect his ability to find work, secure housing, and rebuild his life.

This experience has been life-changing for our family. Every day brings highs and lows, and we’re walking alongside Evan—not just supporting his recovery but sharing in the emotional weight of his journey. Caring for him is a full-time commitment: we provide transportation, counsel, nursing, documentation, research, cooking, cleaning, and more. Evan, ten years my junior, is making a courageous effort to reclaim his independence and learn new information despite the high level of difficulty he experiences. We’re grateful for the time we’ve had together—learning who he is, where he’s come from, and what healing truly requires. Now we’re asking for help to keep that support sustainable.

At the same time, we’re caring for Sonya’s health as she awaits disability approval by appealing and transporting my aging mother to cancer treatments. We’ve opened our home and hearts to support Evan, and my whole family has stepped up to help with this challenge. We’re doing everything we can with love, home-cooked meals, shared strength, and a comfortable, healing space —to support the long journey of helping him recover from his many losses. But we need help to relieve some of the financial stress so we can continue providing the emotional and physical support Evan needs. Your generosity will give him the stability to focus on healing and prepare for a future where he can thrive despite the obstacles.

MaineCare covers most of his medical care, and we receive $272/month from the state in food assistance for him. But there are still costs we’ve taken on—transportation, fuel, utilities, groceries beyond food stamps, household and personal products, furnishings, necessities... Also, winter is on its way and the need to either retrieve his belongings from Florida, where he left everything behind, or provide him with winter clothing. Evan has applied for temporary SSI disability while he heals and recovers from his injuries. It is possible the determination for that process could extend into next spring. He desires to be working again within a year. Physical therapy started for Evan last week.

We’re not interested in Evan acquiring financial debt with us. He has enough responsibility ahead with family, home, and rehabilitation for work. We’re humbly asking for help to cover the cost-of-living and healing expenses we’ve taken responsibility for during this year of recovery. The past couple months have been costly and very busy.

Your generous donations will help cover:

o Groceries and household supplies beyond food assistance

o Utilities and personal living expenses

o Medical care not covered by MaineCare, including therapy and holistic treatments

o Travel or shipping costs to retrieve Evan’s belongings from Florida

o Winter clothing and supplies

Donations will be placed in a special account, managed, and distributed by Ryan or Sonya.

Thank you to brother Ian who helped Evan and his family immensely when he was struggling in Florida, who stands by as back-up for appointments, as well as taking Mom and Evan for daytrips around Maine.

And thank you, to Aunt Kathy for your understanding of our challenges, your early support, and for encouraging us to take this leap into crowdfunding.

Please… Sharing, promoting, and donating are not only a part of a ripple effect—and not just helping a family, but helping someone rebuild his life. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider our cause.