Support Brad Garlow’s motorcycle accident recovery

UPDATE [original text below] THANK YOU all so much. You exceeded our goal in less than 72 hours and the supportive messages and contributions from over 150 individuals has us thankful beyond words. This fundraiser has NOT ended and we invite every single person interested in contributing and leaving a supportive message to do so. The conservative goal we set is merely a start to the financial burdens that lay ahead and there is no such thing as too many kind messages.

ORIGINAL TEXT:

One week ago (September 17, 2021) I woke up to the news that my younger brother, Brad, was in a terrible motorcycle accident in which the driver of an oncoming truck did not see him and crossed his lane at the last second, resulting in Brad slamming into the truck and leaving him laying unconscious on the pavement covered in gasoline until emergency crews arrived. His body acted as a ramp over the truck for his passenger who was also transported to the hospital and has been released with minor injuries; Brad was not so fortunate.

The arriving trooper was ‘shocked he was alive’ and said it was ‘the worst accident he’s seen in 20 years.’ We are incredibly thankful he is still with us but the brain bleed, broken jaw and facial bones, finger re-attachment, shattered hip, lack of feeling and movement of his right foot/toes means the road to a potentially incomplete recovery is going to be long and painful. The most up to date information says three months of no weight on his right leg and that it’s too early to tell if he will regain full mobility. He just completed his first week in the hospital, undergoing a slew of surgeries and should be moved to a different floor soon to begin the first stages of physical therapy, with the continued support of a team of doctors keeping an eye on his more serious injuries.

[That’s him in the orange jacket standing on the summit of Mount Rainier with Samantha and I and some great friends a few years back, I don’t feel comfortable sharing the current photos he sent me from the hospital ]

Somehow when I need most to articulate my feelings, the words escape me. I never thought I would ever be writing a GoFundMe and it didn’t even cross my mind when I sat on the floor listening to the laundry list of gory details of his condition hours after the accident. But over the last few days I can tell the impending financial burdens due to insurance gaps, non-covered items, a long specialist aided recovery,  $8,000.00 deductible and total loss of his motorcycle is becoming a mental burden on top of everything else he’s dealing with which is when I finally got the courage to make a case to him for this little fundraiser.

He said ‘no’; without hesitation, and I was not the first person to ask. Like me, he has a stubborn side, that believes he isn’t deserving of any support that he doesn’t work hard for and earn. What Brad doesn’t realize is that he’s already earned and is more than deserving of our support as an amazing son, friend, brother and uncle who’s always been just a phone call away for all of us when we needed help.

He remained hesitant and wanted answers to large questions to more transparently inform people exactly how much and for what he’s paying for. I believe (and explained) that those things aren’t important right now and won’t be quickly answered and that this small gesture will never cover all of his expenses but what I hope to do is to remind him just how many humans, friends, family, and other value his presence and are thankful he’s still with us and want to see him back doing what he loves to the best of his ability in the future while helping ease some of the initial financial burdens which is the last thing someone in his position should worry about.

Last night he hesitantly gave me permission (literally through his teeth due to his jaw being wired shut) to launch this and while the financial goal is surely a very small percentage of what he’s facing I just want him to know that there’s a whole bunch of us that care so if you’re up to it, please leave a message with your donation (done by clicking ‘leave a comment’ on your emailed receipt after donating) so this page can be a space of encouragement and support for him, who does not have or use any other form of social media to connect with others.