Support Ellen & Ruby in Portland

The dreaded call a mother never wants to hear, came it earlier this week, no less than a week after dropping Ruby off in Portland, OR for her post high school gap year of community service program--bags had not even been unpacked.  There had been a car accident.  Ruby was an hour and a half outside of Portland and was airlifted to a major hospital. Pulmonary contusion, lacerated ear drum and spleen, and over a dozen fractures including a scapula, hips, pelvis, sternum and 7 of 11 ribs--the basic recovery will take 6 to 8 weeks. Learning to walk again, becoming a lefty are all on the recovery docket.

Ruby will be in the hospital for a few more days before heading into rehab and hopfully back to her program and friends, where arrangements are being made to accommodate a wheelchair. 

Mama Bear Ellen will be there to support her as she make these transitions. In the meantime, there are the unplanned costs that add stress to the situation. This page is being created forthose of us who would like to help lessen the burden of the unexpected meals, air, hotel, transportation, clothes (only a couple outfits were packed in haste), perhaps lawyer fees (the car was struck by another car, the other passengers did not have any serious injuries), and that the focus can stay on healing.