As you probably know, my brother Andrew Romano was recently in a terrible accident. He was on a road trip to Las Vegas to partner with the REALTOR President Circle Conference, an organization that invests funds to support fair and affordable housing. Unfortunately he was not able to attend after the car was totaled and he was left with a serious injury.

Near the Iowa/Nebraska border his car slid in the snow and finally came to a stop after hitting a tree. The impact left Andrew with a displaced fracture of his femur. One of the most difficult bones to break, with the longest recovery periods. Had the collision happened only inches to the left, we would have lost our brother, son, partner, friend and colleague. Although his injury is severe, it is not lost on us what a miracle it is that he made it out alive.

Thanks to the quick response of first responders, some of which were off the clock, he was rushed to a local hospital and soon after transferred to another hospital better suited to handle his injuries. To repair his femur, surgeons placed a rod that runs nearly from his hip to his knee that is secured with screws. Fortunately surgery was a great success. Unfortunately, a successful surgery is only the very beginning of the mountain he must climb toward a full recovery.

Throughout a 2 weeks stay stranded in a hospital in Nebraska, a long haul ride share home, many orthopedic visits and now physical therapy, Andrew has maintained an attitude of extreme gratitude and high spirits. Nurses who became friends have praised his perseverance and speak on him in the same way all of us who love him do: a hilarious fighter with a positive attitude and a work ethic even stronger than his pain tolerance. However, now that he is home, the reality of his situation is taking its toll.

Andrew is doing well in his journey of re-learning to walk. However, even with his progress he will he be in a walker and have a very limited ability to use stairs for up to 12 weeks. Additionally, he will also not be cleared to drive for likely another 6. A full and total recovery can take many months.

Because of this, his ability to work at his normal capacity has been impacted. However, he can and will do the back end part of it from home. So, if you were thinking of working with him, please don’t worry about “bothering” him. Although he will likely not admit it, he could use the mental escape and also the funds while he recovers. He is fortunate to have great colleagues who would be willing to help with showings and inspections, etc. What we know about Andrew is that given the opportunity, he will get the job done.

In the meantime, I’m asking for his community to help ease the burden of the mounting medical bills, cross country medical transport, and everyday expenses on both him and his loving partner and husband, Myles. Andrew is fortunate enough to have some savings & believes that because of that fundraising wouldn’t be appropriate. But, as people who love him, we recognize it would be a shame for him to experience the stress and possibility of potentially losing all he has worked for while doing his best to recover and keep a positive attitude in the process. His pride and giving spirit insist that because others may have it worse, he is not worthy of helping. We know that is not true & believe his community does as well, so we are opening this giving opportunity on his behalf.

Andrew is one of the most generous people I know. On top of being generous with his time and community resources he is constantly fundraising and donating for worthy causes in our communities. From scholarship funds to animal rescues and women’s sports teams, he has never shied away from an opportunity to share what he can. Now is not only our opportunity to return the favor for him, but to show him that his community is standing behind him in his lengthy recovery. Whether you refer him to someone looking to buy or sell a home, share this fundraiser or personally make a contribution, we are so grateful for doing what you can to help Andrew know he has a whole village behind him as he navigates this.