Laura Core’s “core” has always been easy to see. Smart. Funny. Generous. A fierce competitor.

And Laura is responsible – as she was last January when she took a ride-share service home after a night out with her husband Mark and two friends. They were hit by a drunk driver just a few blocks from their home. Laura’s injuries in the crash were devastating. First responders who arrived on the scene did not think she would survive the night. She suffered fractures to her C6 and C7 vertebrae, leaving her with a significant spinal cord injury and incomplete quadriplegia. Laura also sustained several broken ribs, a broken elbow and suffered a traumatic brain injury. She needed 25 stitches in her head.

But Laura is nothing if not a fighter. She was initially in a coma and had no feeling in the lower half of her body. She spent two weeks in the OHSU ICU, then four weeks at a rehab facility before she was sent home to continue her recovery. Her family had to retrofit her home to accommodate her limitations. Her husband Mark – also injured in the wreck – had to quit his job to be her full-time caregiver.

Laura’s road to recovery is hard-fought and never-ending. She works with a physical therapist five days a week. Laura also undergoes regular vision therapy, gets Botox injections to alleviate muscle spasms, and has frequent acupuncture and massage treatments. She has made remarkable progress over the past ten months. Her medical team is astonished at what she has accomplished, considering the severity of her injuries.

However, Laura still has significant physical limitations and endures constant nerve pain. That's why she and her medical team are exploring alternative therapies that may improve her mobility and lessen her constant and excruciating nerve pain. One promising option is cutting-edge stem cell therapy, which is currently only used in trials in the United States but is widely used in other countries to treat spinal cord injuries. Unfortunately, most alternative medical treatments available to Laura, both within and outside the United States, are not covered by her insurance.

Laura needs our support as she continues working on her recovery. She needs assistance with the costs of ongoing physical and emotional therapy. She also needs various medical equipment, including mobility aids and adaptive exercise equipment, which are not covered by insurance. One day, Laura hopes to be able to use an adaptive car to get to work on her own and become more self-sufficient.

An amazing friend, daughter, wife and mother, Laura has always been the first to step up to help. She volunteered in her Duniway and Sellwood PTAs and classrooms, put in endless hours of charitable work and coaching, and raised funds for CASA for Children, all while juggling a full-time job, two kids and even running Hood to Coast several times.

Those of us fortunate enough to know Laura cannot say enough about her grit, determination, and courage. But she and her wonderful family need your help. We are asking because they would never ask for themselves. Please help Laura regain her shining “Core.”