Support Janelle's TBI Recovery

Janelle Thomas is undoubtedly the single warmest, most wholesome individual I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Her vibrance lit up the room the second she stepped in. Janelle loves the great outdoors. She likes to hike, rock climb, swim, ice skate and ski and regularly participated in these activities with people who love her. At home, she is an avid reader and loves to crochet for her friends and family. She is a people person, sweet, kindhearted and compassionate beyond measure. These are primarily why she became a Physician Assistant; she loves to care for and help people. She truly is a testament to a life well lived. She had a bright and promising future that was abruptly halted.

On July 9th, Janelle was the victim in a head-on collision that left her unresponsive. She sustained extremely severe injuries across her entire body and was not breathing on her own. The stars were aligned though, and several off-duty first responders witnessed the crash and were able to resuscitate Janelle until the EMS arrived. Janelle was airlifted to a nearby hospital where she received some basic initial treatment. Her condition was too critical for this hospital's capabilities, so Janelle was airlifted to Cooper University Hospital in Camden. The trauma team at Cooper performed emergency surgery on Janelle and they were able to save her life.

As I write this, nearly two months later, Janelle is still in a coma because of the severity of the accident. Over those two months, Janelle has undergone several surgeries to treat her injuries. Janelle had a broken pelvis and right ankle, fractures of vertebrae in her neck and back, compound fractures of her left arm, a fracture on her right elbow, a dislocated wrist, a collapsed left lung, a ruptured intestine, and of course the most serious of which, her Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

Despite all these injuries, Janelle is so strong and she's fighting hard, and recovering steadily. While she remains unconscious, she responds to sound and touch. It brings us comfort when she squeezes your hand occasionally. She is still in the early stage of her very long journey to recovery, but the doctors believe that Janelle would eventually be able to walk and have meaningful conversations with us again.

With TBI’s, no one knows for sure how long it will take someone to recover, but with proper treatment they are projecting that Janelle would be in a good place in a few years. Her recovery will include her time in the Trauma ICU, her time on the Trauma step-down unit where she is now, several months at a neurological rehabilitation facility, and untold amounts of time working through physical, occupational and speech therapies.

This brings us to the purpose of this Gofundme. Her treatment has been incredible, and her family and I cannot give enough praise and gratitude to the nurses, doctors and staff at Cooper. However, the treatment plan comes with a steep cost. Janelle has already received over $1.3M in treatment, and she is just in the beginning of her journey.

Even though she's the one doing the heavy lifting, every bit of your support will directly contribute to Janelle's recovery. All funds are being routed directly into Janelle's personal account to help her afford treatment and everyday living expenses once she recovers.

Anyone who had the pleasure of crossing paths with Janelle will tell you how warm and endearing she is. She has an amazing sense of humor that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Janelle was a Physician Assistant who loved her job, and loved taking care of people. The idea of creating a Gofundme for Janelle came about because of just how many of her patients were looking for a way to give back. After we pitched the idea to friends and family, we received a very positive response and so we decided to make it happen. If there were ever a person who deserved your support, it would be Janelle. So I'm asking you now, please contribute to Janelle's fund and help us get our girl back to good health.