Justin's Recovery Fund

On Wednesday, August 2nd, our friend, Justin Payne, was on his way home from work at his new job.  It was raining hard.  As he turned onto an on-ramp to the highway and was t-boned on the passenger side by another car traveling at a very high rate of speed.  Justin was driving and luckily there was no one else in the car.  His car was obliterated....almost nothing left of it except for the area where Justin was sitting.  It was pushed by the other car clear across the intersection and into the grass.  The firefighters had to cut what was left of the car apart to get him out, and the paramedics rushed him to the best shock trauma hospital in the country in downtown Baltimore.   There was definitely someone watching out for him because with the damage to his vehicle, he should not be with us.  (We have included a photo of his car at the very bottom for those who want to see it.  However it is disturbing so don't scroll all the way down if you don't wish to.)

Justin suffered a broken femur, several broken ribs, a partially collapsed lung, and lots of cuts and bruising on the right side of his body where the passenger door had impacted him.  He spent an excruciating night in the trauma unit and was rushed into surgery the next morning to repair his leg.  Luckily it was a clean break and the doctors were able to insert a rod and pins and piece it all back together.  


He has been at shock trauma for almost a week recovering.  His recovery is being made even more difficult by the fact that he has cerebral palsy, which most effects the leg that was broken.  

But Justin is a fighter and has been stronger than most through every step of his recovery so far.  He has kept his sense of humor despite everything he has been through and the nursing staff has experienced his tendency to put everyone around him before himself.  


However, Justin has a long tough road ahead of him.  A broken femur is one of the most painful injuries any person can endure and recovery time can take many months.  He also has the broken ribs and collapsed lung on top of it.  

Because he had just changed jobs, Justin was not eligible for medical insurance through his employer.  He cannot afford an inpatient recovery center, which would be the ideal place for him to go.  He will also be out of work for quite a while....most likely months.  His mom is his only family and she is disabled herself, so does not have the ability or means to care for him.  And his current living situation was a room on the third floor of a house, which is not feasible with his injuries.


We (Annie and Hill) will be donating a room for him to stay in during his recovery where he will have a bedroom on the first floor of our house with an attached bathroom, people to get groceries and cook for him and do his laundry, and a family with three joyful kids to keep his spirits up as he goes through this hard time.  

However, he will need medications, physical therapy sessions, transportation to and from doctors visits, and living expenses (to take care of his current rent agreement with his roommate, his car payment, etc.) to cover his bills until he can go back to work.  He has some savings, but that will not go far with all the expenses he is facing.  


He will need funds almost immediately in order to get the medications he needs for recovery and to pay bills he has due.  Also, any food donations are welcome!  We have a huge chest freezer and a second refrigerator
where we can store a large amount of food (as healthy as possible please.....he will need good nutrition to recover as quickly as possible).

Any amount you can give is greatly appreciated, no matter how small.  Every bit counts.   All funds will go directly to Justin to use for his recovery expenses. Justin is ever so grateful for the outpouring of support he continues to receive.  The Justin we know and love will be back to full form soon.