I Am My Brother's Keeper
Donation protected
On October 5, 2016, my brother was involved in a tragic motorcycle accident that almost claimed his life. He had a punctured lung, a broken back, had broken his neck in two places and had also severed his brain stem (Diffuse Axonal Injury). Every one of his immediate family members rushed across the country, from all different states, to be by his side. Little did we know that the fight for his life wouldn’t be the only fight we would have to endure during this tragedy; or that our small, close knit family would be torn apart so soon thereafter.
My mother has not left my brother’s side since the day after his accident, when she arrived. She has uprooted herself from her home in Upstate NY, her husband, their small church and Christian school, as well as friends and family. She has relocated herself to every city that he has been moved to for medical purposes throughout the last 4 ½ months. Not knowing anyone in the area, she has relied on support from local churches for places to stay and even slept in local motels, and her own car at times to be close to her son. She has given the ultimate sacrifice a mother can give; selflessly giving up her entire life to be by her son’s side until his condition improves.
Even though the devastating effects of this accident are tragic in their own right, we find ourselves now in a legal battle against other family members who feel like my brother would not want to live his life as a “vegetable”. My brother is NOT a vegetable. He was able to breathe on his own after six weeks, can move all of his limbs and open and close his eyes, but it’s still hard to fully determine his visual capabilities. He responds to our voices because he knows us, and does so emotionally through tears, hugs, rubbing his hands on our shoulders, etc. His tracheostomy is still healing but once it is completely closed, he can begin to learn to swallow, eat and talk again. This man is no vegetable. He is a son, a brother, a father, a husband, a Marine. He has served six years in the military, doing two tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and did not lose his life fighting for our freedom, so I refuse to let him die on American soil.
My mother was able to obtain counsel today but the minimum cost for a contested conservatorship case is $10,000. Minimum! My mother does not have the means to be able to afford a lawyer. Her and her husband have a small Christian church and school, approx. 5-10 members, that produces little to no income after expenses. They live very minimally on a monthly social security check and do so happily, giving God all the glory. My sister and I are doing all we can to help provide for her expenses while she is caring for our brother but the attorney fees are insurmountable. However, we see God’s hand in my brother’s progression, and also my mother’s journey through all of this with him, so we refuse to give up. We are literally fighting for his life for the second time.
We are asking for individuals to stand with us, pray with us and partner with us. If this story has touched your heart in any way, would you be willing to donate to her legal aid fund to help us continue to fight for his life? No gift is too small.
My mother has not left my brother’s side since the day after his accident, when she arrived. She has uprooted herself from her home in Upstate NY, her husband, their small church and Christian school, as well as friends and family. She has relocated herself to every city that he has been moved to for medical purposes throughout the last 4 ½ months. Not knowing anyone in the area, she has relied on support from local churches for places to stay and even slept in local motels, and her own car at times to be close to her son. She has given the ultimate sacrifice a mother can give; selflessly giving up her entire life to be by her son’s side until his condition improves.
Even though the devastating effects of this accident are tragic in their own right, we find ourselves now in a legal battle against other family members who feel like my brother would not want to live his life as a “vegetable”. My brother is NOT a vegetable. He was able to breathe on his own after six weeks, can move all of his limbs and open and close his eyes, but it’s still hard to fully determine his visual capabilities. He responds to our voices because he knows us, and does so emotionally through tears, hugs, rubbing his hands on our shoulders, etc. His tracheostomy is still healing but once it is completely closed, he can begin to learn to swallow, eat and talk again. This man is no vegetable. He is a son, a brother, a father, a husband, a Marine. He has served six years in the military, doing two tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and did not lose his life fighting for our freedom, so I refuse to let him die on American soil.
My mother was able to obtain counsel today but the minimum cost for a contested conservatorship case is $10,000. Minimum! My mother does not have the means to be able to afford a lawyer. Her and her husband have a small Christian church and school, approx. 5-10 members, that produces little to no income after expenses. They live very minimally on a monthly social security check and do so happily, giving God all the glory. My sister and I are doing all we can to help provide for her expenses while she is caring for our brother but the attorney fees are insurmountable. However, we see God’s hand in my brother’s progression, and also my mother’s journey through all of this with him, so we refuse to give up. We are literally fighting for his life for the second time.
We are asking for individuals to stand with us, pray with us and partner with us. If this story has touched your heart in any way, would you be willing to donate to her legal aid fund to help us continue to fight for his life? No gift is too small.
Organizer and beneficiary
Kelly Jo
Organizer
Gonzalez, FL
Janet Godinez
Beneficiary