Update March 14, 2025: just wanted to let you all know that my mom got word from insurance that they won’t pay for him to go to University of Washington TBI center. If he was to be accepted into the program it would be self pay entirely. To say that she is disappointed and overwhelmed is an understatement. She has fought mercilessly with insurance to approve coverage or approve some procedure but it’s all in vain. She spends so much time on the phone, sending emails, sending faxes from Office Depot with yet another let down.

Hi, my name is Tracey Kern and I’m raising money to help my mom, Gail Afdem, with medical expenses for my dad, Terry Afdem. To those of you who wouldn’t know, my dad never messed around with protective gear and always wore a full face helmet, leather riding jacket and pants with protective cups for the elbows and knees (the plastic cups ended up cutting him pretty badly but would have been much worse without it).

In late October of 2024 he was riding his motorcycle with a friend in Central Oregon when a deer struck him on the left side when he was going about 30 mph. He was unconscious at the scene of the accident and had to be life flighted to a trauma center in Eugene, OR. He remained unconscious for nearly a week and during that time they did CT scans, MRIs, X-rays, and about every possible test to determine what was broken and how severely. He had several brain bleeds, his left side was destroyed: broken scapula, upper arm/shoulder ball, wrist, 5 broken ribs, a lung that wouldn’t stay inflated, laceration on his elbow, laceration to his right knee when he fell over. Once he was cognizant, the surgeons performed the surgery on his arm/shoulder where they placed 13 screws with a plate in order to piece it back together again as well as fully sutured his elbow. The pupil on his left eye wasn’t responsive and completely blown out, his eyelid wouldn’t open. They patched his eye with the hope of regaining some function.

He was transported via ambulance from Eugene to Mt. Vernon at the cost of nearly $4,000 that wasn’t covered by insurance. He underwent intensive occupational and physical therapy at Mira Vista in MV, taking care of his broken body but not his brain. Insurance was maxed out and Dad had no coverage, so he was moved to an adult care home where he lost all momentum with improvement, went downhill mentally and physically, and was then moved to a memory care center where the other residents are there due to dementia, not a TBI. His level of care has been extremely high and the initial cost of $9,000 per month is now being evaluated and will be no less than $12,000 per month.

A catheter has been needed from day one and has caused constant bladder infections. He is being evaluated for a catheter through his abdomen to help with the infections and discomfort he has from the existing.

His left eyelid has been opening a bit more as time goes on but his vision through it is very distorted. He will never ride a motorcycle, ski, snowmobile ever again. His income with photography (quarter midget car racing at Skagit Speedway) and motorcycle painting repairs is done.

Mom has had to sell the KLR, BMW and RC51 motorcycles (Dad does not know this and it’s the last thing he should be told at this point!!! What’s so sad is the sale of 2 of the bikes hasn’t even paid for 2 full months of his care!).

We need to find a way to fix his broken brain now that the broken bones have been taken care of. It is a slow and extremely frustrating process, especially considering their distance to Seattle where there are neurologists who deal with TBIs. Please help with the costs associated with his accident. Thank you!