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Shannon's Medical Expense Fund

Young Newlywed Paralyzed in Accident 



On July 11, 2015, just weeks after being married, in her dream wedding on the beach at the Outer Banks, my beloved, beautiful, vibrant  niece Shannon Leigh Taylor suffered a fluke fall from her balcony. With no one else aware, she lay unconscious in the bushes, pelted by an unseasonably cold rain for 5 hours, until a neighbor discovered her nearly lifeless body. Thanks to the astute work of area EMS and the Shock Trauma Unit at the University of Maryland Hospital, Shannon survived the fall.

Sadly, Shannon suffered one of the most serious types of spinal cord injuries, a teardrop fracture with compression of her spinal cord, at the C3, C4 and C5 levels.   Shannon is now a quadriplegic, though she does have some use of her left arm and both shoulders.  After weeks in the Intensive Care Unit, Shannon spent another 7 weeks in an in-patient rehab facility and last week was discharged to her family’s care.  Currently she receives in home physical therapy and will hopefully soon begin outpatient therapy at the spinal care center at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore. 

The mental, physical and financial toll of this work weigh heavily on her support network. While insurance covers some of Shannon’s needs, there is no benefit for in-home nursing and she is currently cared for by her Mom, Jo Taylor and her Dad (my brother) Bill at significant loss of wages.  Shannon requires almost round the clock care which is provided by her Mom and Dad with a lot of help form her immediate and extended family. 

Although medical science advances daily and there is hope that Shannon will regain more function, the process involves overwhelming costs for therapy, equipment, and care.  Already her medical bills have surpassed $200,000. According to the Christopher Reeve's Foundation, the estimated Cost of Living for this kind of injury is between $739,874 and $1,023,924 in the first year alone. After that, each year is still estimated to cost approximately $110,000 or more. 

Your gift will help underwrite the cost of a wheelchair van and much needed in-home equipment and services that are not covered by Shannon’s insurance.  Please consider helping us give her the best chance at reclaiming her life.  Anything you can contribute would be very appreciated.

Last, but not least, your prayers for her recovery would be gratefully welcomed.

With appreciation, Janet
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Donations 

  • A fshari
    • $10 
    • 7 yrs
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Organizer and beneficiary

Janet Reilly
Organizer
Cockeysville, MD
Bill Taylor
Beneficiary

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