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The Asher Project re: April Cave

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On June 24, 2006, just a few days after graduating from high school, 18 year-old April Cave, sibling #2 from a single parent family of 6 children, was paralyzed from the chest down in a car crash. The driver of the car was also 18, underinsured, and April's fellow camp counselor at a camp for kids they'd both grown up attending.

When someone has a traumatic spinal cord injury, health insurance does not support ongoing therapy because, typically, such severe injuries do not get better. After being on a waiting list for 8 years, April got a call to be considered as the first female participant in a spinal cord injury study undertaken by the Christopher Reeve Foundation. After almost three weeks of painful testing and a broken ankle suffered during the testing, April was approved for the study. April will have an electronic device implanted into her spinal cord for the purpose of seeing if such an implant can help reconnect the nerves severed by her spinal cord injury. The study will be painful and tiring and lonely because April has to reside in Kentucky for the anticipated two year duration of the study. Our family does not have the resources to relocate there with her, or, to pay for all of these costs.

Although all the study surgical procedures and study protocals  will be paid for by the study, no funding exists for April's housing and living expenses. This study could help April stand and/or walk, again. She will be following every step along the way via her youtube channel. However, we need to raise funds to cover her housing and living expenses. With the accommodations she will require to stay on her own in Kentucky, we believe that approximately $72,000 will be required for the planned 24 month duration.

After reaching out to numerous foundations for help with this dilemma and receiving no response, we decided to form our own foundation to help provide housing expenses for April, and, for others who will follow her as participants in this study in the future. It is called the Asher Project. We are awaiting final government approval of our requested 501c(3) status so that any and all contributions made to the Asher Project will be tax deductible. However, because April leaves tomorrow for Kentucky, we need to get things rolling now.

As April's mother and the executive director of the Asher project, I know first hand of the importance of this study, of the courage it takes for April to make the decision to leave her family and subject herself to surgery and pain and discomfort to not only help herself, if possible, but, to also help others similarly situated.

We promise to provide an appropriate receipt to everyone and everyone who might feel led to contribute once our 501c(3) status is approved, and we thank you so, so much for your time. Many difficult things happen to many people in the world....we know this, and, we are very thankful for your consideration.

Follow April's progress through the study on her YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpTPM2g9nXhuUBMpKgCD5wQ


Pam Cave, Phillip Cave, April Cave, Trisha Cave, Megan Cave, Thomas Cave, and George Cave; The Asher Project
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Donations 

  • Brent Anderson
    • $100 
    • 7 yrs
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Organizer

Pam Cave
Organizer
Fairfax, VA

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