It Takes a Village to Help Umar Heal

Umar has bravely undergone surgery to repair a serious spinal fracture and continues to fight through blood clots and pain. He’s even standing and sitting upright for short periods — a true testament to his determination.

This journey has been especially hard on his family, particularly their youngest son, Keyan. It’s been stressful, and managing his blood sugar has been extremely difficult at this time. He wants his dad to come home and doesn’t understand why he can’t.

While there’s no discharge date yet, Umar will eventually need rehab to continue his recovery. It truly takes a village to support them through this difficult time. Every share, donation, and word of encouragement helps the family focus on what matters most: Umar’s healing.

On September 28, 2025, my best friend Umar was in a terrible motorcycle accident. He was hit by a minivan, thrown from his bike, and had to be airlifted to UVA Hospital. His injuries are very serious. He has several fractured vertebrae in his cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. The worst is a burst fracture in his thoracic spine. He also has a broken femur, tibia, fibula, broken ribs, and a collapsed lung.

On September 29th, Umar went into surgery to repair his femur and one of his hands and fingers. The doctors told us they needed to do the femur first to give him a chance to walk again. In the next few days, he will also need major back surgery. This is only the beginning of a long road to recovery.

This accident is a huge setback for Umar’s family. We don’t know if or when he’ll be able to return to work. His wife, Madonna, will now have to provide round-the-clock care while also being there for their two sons, Kamal and Keyan. To make things even harder, their youngest son, Keyan, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes last November. They were already carrying that financial and emotional burden, and now this accident has turned their world upside down.

I am starting this GoFundMe to help take some of the financial stress off of them so they can focus on healing. The money raised will help cover:

• Medical expenses not covered by insurance

• Travel costs to and from UVA Hospital

• Home care and rehabilitation needs

• Household bills and living expenses while Umar cannot work

• Ongoing care for Keyan’s type 1 diabetes

Umar is one of the strongest, kindest people I know, and he has always been there for the people he loves. Now he and his family need us. If you are able, please consider donating. Any amount—big or small—will help. If you can’t donate, please share this page to help spread the word.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for supporting my best friend Umar, his wife Madonna, and their sons Kamal and Keyan during the fight of their lives.