Support for Patrick Marasciullo's Family

Dear Friends of the Marasciullo Family,

This GoFundMe has been created to help Steve and Stephanie Marasciullo with expenses incurred since their son Patrick was in a car accident. Their family’s whole world was turned upside down in the blink of an eye, and they could use our support right now during this very difficult time. Here is the message they would like to share with you:

On April 20, 2023 our son Patrick Marasciullo was severely injured in a terrible car accident in Goleta, CA. He was a passenger in the car, which hit a tree and became engulfed in flames. Thankfully two incredibly brave men ran to his rescue and pulled him from the burning car, saving his life. We are so very grateful to them, and we feel so lucky that Patrick survived. Tragically, the driver and the other passenger in the car did not survive. Our sincere condolences go to their families and loved ones.

Patrick is recovering in a hospital in Southern California that specializes in burn care. He sustained life-threatening injuries in the accident, which include burns over 20% of his body. Burns of this magnitude can often take years to recover from. Additionally, he has two broken bones in his leg (which required surgery and the placement of a rod in his leg), a fractured pelvis, a fractured vertebrae in his spine, two broken teeth, and multiple lacerations. He is fighting so hard in his recovery and has continued to amaze us throughout each and every step of this difficult journey. He works incredibly hard day and night to improve and is making really good progress in his recovery. He has had six surgeries already, 5 of which have been skin grafts, and the doctors expect him to have at least a few more. Skin graft surgeries are excruciating, and despite the extreme pain, Patrick pushes through them with an amazing attitude each time.

We are so very proud of him – he has shown such bravery and determination to recover and move on with his life. He still has a long and challenging journey ahead in his recovery, but he faces it with strength each day.

Our friends have organized this GoFundMe to help us with the expenses incurred since Patrick’s accident and with expenses that are expected in the future. While we do have insurance that will help cover many of these items, at this point we are still unsure how much coverage we will receive. In the initial days after the accident we stayed in a hotel near the hospital, but when we learned that Patrick’s care and rehabilitation at the hospital would take at least two months, if not longer, we realized that staying in a hotel would not be sustainable, and so we are currently renting an Airbnb. This allows us to settle in and provide the support Patrick needs. It also makes it possible for us to prepare healthy and familiar home-cooked meals to bring to Patrick, which he appreciates greatly.

Some of the expenses we anticipate in the near future are helping Patrick with both his medical bills and rehabilitation costs. It is still unclear what insurance will cover, and we have been told that the bill for his healthcare could easily reach a million dollars. When he is released from the hospital, he will be transferred to an acute rehab center weeks before he is able to return home. Additionally, we would like to be able to help Patrick with therapy expenses, as he has been through a very traumatic experience, and he will likely need ongoing support from mental health professionals to help him cope with the extreme physical and emotional trauma he has endured. These costs are compounded by the loss of income we are experiencing since Steve has been unable to work due to our relocation to Orange County to be with Patrick.

We have had amazing support from family and friends through all of this. We are incredibly grateful to all of you for your calls, texts, emails, love, and prayers. Your support and words of encouragement have inspired and helped us through this very difficult time. Patrick is so strong and will make it through all of this!

Thank you for considering helping financially.

With Gratitude,

Stephanie and Steve Marasciullo