A Help Hope Live Client Case Study with Rebecca Koltun
Part of the New York Catastrophic Injury Fund
OVERVIEW
Healthy, vibrant Rebecca Koltun was 21 and about to graduate college when a skiing accident left her with a life-changing spinal cord injury. Unable to move her arms or legs, Rebecca was plunged into a new reality with quadriplegia.
THE PROBLEM
Rebecca’s parents were told to anticipate hundreds of thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket medical costs in the first year alone to keep her healthy and stable. From home modifications to rehabilitation equipment to caregiving and accessible transportation, costs piled up rapidly.
THE SOLUTION/APPROACH
Rebecca’s community was referred to Help Hope Live through Alan T. Brown of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. They started fundraising with us just 1 week after Rebecca’s injury.
Backed by our trusted nonprofit status and maximum protection for asset-based benefits, support for Rebecca and her family through our platform was immediate and profound.
THE OUTCOME
The campaign in Rebecca’s honor has raised over $1.75 million in the first 5 years.
With one-on-one assistance from Help Hope Live, annual events like the Rally for Rebecca 5K continue to bring her community together to fuel her hope, independence, and recovery.
Today, Rebecca’s full life includes travel, painting and selling landscapes, part-time work in marketing and graphic design, music, reading, and using dark humor to educate and enlighten her hundreds of thousands of social media followers on life with paralysis.
In 2026, she walked 1,000 steps in an exoskeleton.
The Help Hope Live Touch
Fundraising remains a year-round necessity for Rebecca and her family to offset costs including caregiving, equipment repairs, and routine health care. Help Hope Live will be there for a lifetime of need, giving her loving community a trusted and secure way to help.
In 2024, Rebecca became a Help Hope Live client Ambassador. She pledges her time to sharing the power of medical fundraising and community support with other individuals and families impacted by paralysis.
“Everyone we’ve had the pleasure of working at Help Hope Live has been extremely kind, helpful, and instrumental in my journey.”
