Rig fails, Sam breaks neck, HELP!
Tragic 13 Foot Fall Breaks Acrobat's Neck & Leaves Her Unable To Walk
https://youtu.be/ZHLwHWfaTuQ
https://vimeo.com/241119222
Watch the tragic video of Sam falling & breaking her neck due to faulty equipment at her workplace.
**The beneficiary of this account is Denise Lynn Patterson, who is Samantha's mother. Sam does not live in the US or have an American bank account, but her mother Denise does. This is so she will able to access GoFundMe's funds and make sure the money donated goes directly to her daughter's medical needs.**
What happened
On the 26th of October, Sam Panda was performing an aerial show at Finn’s Beach Club in Canggu, Bali when the rig she was hanging from snapped and she plummeted 13 feet onto her head, breaking her neck in several places.
She somehow survived but has multiple fractures and a shard of bone stuck in her spinal cord which is preventing her from walking.
Why we need the money
Numerous doctors have urged Sam to have her surgery in Singapore or Taiwan with specialist surgeons who are experienced enough to deal with this complex case.
Sam had a work permit and was told that she was fully insured by her employers. Unfortunately, her employer’s insurance won’t pay for the medical evacuation she needs to get the surgery that will help her walk again. Her livelihood depends on her physical wellbeing which is currently severely compromised.
Doctors have also stated that time is of the essence - the longer Sam stays in Bali, the higher the risk that these debilitating injuries are irreversible.
How much we need
SOS have given us a quotation of $40,000 to get Sam safely out of Bali. That will cover all the costs for a medical evacuation out of Bali and into the hands of a surgeon who can fix her neck and spinal cord.
Once she arrives home her insurance will cover the costs of her surgery and rehabilitation.
We just need your help to pay for the plane to get her there.
Please donate anything you can to help Sam. This girl is not only talented but so big-hearted.
***UPDATE***
Hi everyone!
So sorry for the delays in updating everyone. It's been a crazy few days of massive surgery and recovery, but we are now 4 days post op and doing absolutely amazingly.
The surgery was incredibly intense, and required a 36 hour traction period (being bolted down to the bed using screws in the skull), and none of the damaged pieces of bone were able to be saved. We had to get a titanium vertabrae and 2 artificial discs ordered and brand new from Germany.
So now Sam is pretty much Iron Man and well on the way to recovery. The good news is that because of this, the actual healing part is much easier because everything that would have had to heal now is simply just new. This cuts down recovery time by a lot!
Unfortunately this damage replacement costs a lot more than reconstruction, because of having to buy top-grade German engineered products.
We want to give you a breakdown of what your donations have been used for so far:
Medevac airplane out of Bali and to Taiwan (including all doctors, seats, medicine, ambulances, liaisons, visas, hotel stays, tickets, etc.): $38,000 USD
Surgery and hospital stay in Taiwan up to Nov 12 (including surgery, room stay, titanium and artificial disc implants, medicine, doctor fees, etc.): $23,511 USD
We are still working on rehab costs which haven't been estimated yet, as well as the final hospital bill, depending on when Sam is finally discharged and can go home. Although she is able to walk with support (amazing!!) she has been suffering from vertigo, related to inner ear damage from the impact, and can't stand on her own just yet. Rehab will likely take some more hard work on Sam's part.
We want to take the time to say the biggest thank you possible to Dr. Alex Lu and his team at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taipei. They are more than doctors, but miracle workers for taking such a serious and dangerous surgery on and pulling it off so beautifully and successfully. We learned how close Sam was to paralysis, and they not only took her back from that edge, but will bring her back to being her old self as well. They are our heroes.
As always, thank you for all of your love and support. Your donations have been massively useful and have gone an incredible way to make sure that she was able to be saved. None of this would have been possible without the support and kindness that came in floods from all over the world. You are all our heroes too! <3 We cannot thank you enough, and we will continue to update as frequently as possible.
***UPDATE 28.11.2017
To everyone who has helped me out through this rough time, I just want to say a tremendous thank you. I have been recovering very well, and I am slowly but surely getting myself back to a normal life.
I absolutely would not have survived without any of you, so please know how much I care and love each of you for your donations. Every single little bit helped me go from barely surviving to being able to make a full recovery (in time. Still moving slowly. No one panic).
We have reached enough money to cover all of the bills that I needed to, so I am going to shut down the donations. I appreciate everything you've done for me, and I don't want to just continue to take money from you, so I will end this here and let you know that all of your donations went directly towards my medical bills and my recovery.
I also want to update you and let you know that I saw my hero (my doctor, Dr. Alex Lu) yesterday, and he was really happy with the progress I've been making with my rehab and he confirmed that all of the split work I have been doing is perfectly fine, so also anyone worrying about me doesn't have to do so any more (though I do appreciate it. You guys are so lovely).
Thank you again, and I love you from the bottom of my heart. You saved my life, and I can never repay you for that.
Best wishes to all of you, and I know good things are coming your way because of your love and kindness.
-Sam Panda
