Dear Friends and Supporters,
As you probably know, on Sunday July 15th Mary and Will Pershing and their two boys, Joshua and Michael, were in a terrible automobile accident on their way home from church. They were hit from the rear at a high rate of speed which sent both cars off the road, each rolling several times. The driver who hit them was killed, and Will died in the car shortly after the impact — Mary and the boys were seriously injured.
Mary was airlifted to St. Louis where she was diagnosed with multiple spine fractures in her neck and mid-spine, in addition to seven broken ribs. She is currently in stable condition in a trauma unit in St. Louis. While she is expected to recover, the road will be long and difficult. Once she is medically stabilized, Mary will be transferred to a local hospital to begin the long process of rehabilitation.
**8/7/2012- Update on Mary’s condition– Mary has been discharged from the rehab hospital and is up and moving around. She is able to walk, but is still relying on a walker when outdoors or going to be up for extended periods of time as she tires quickly and is still working on balance. She is wearing a medical neck collar to help strengthen her neck as the three fractures in her neck heal. She is receiving intensive outpatient physical and occupational therapy. At this time she can only lift or carry up to 5 pounds. She is staying at Haven House in order to be near the boys and ride the shuttle for visits to the boys as they are still in a rehab hospital in St. Louis. We are amazed at the progress she is making but she still has a long road of recovery ahead. With all of this happening, Mary’s spirits are good and she is determined to do what it takes to get stronger, recover and be able to encourage her boys through their care as much as she can. Her relationship with the Lord sustains her every day.
Joshua, age nine, was airlifted to St. Louis Children’s Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery to repair the compound fractures in both of his femurs. He also suffered a small laceration on his liver which doctors will monitor. Michael, age 4, was the least injured with multiple fractures of his femur and lower leg which did require surgery and he too will transfer to rehabilitation therapy at the appropriate time. Both boys will require rehab therapy upon discharge from Children’s.
**8/7/2012- Update on Josh and Michael– Josh and Michael are recovering in a wonderful Rehab hospital in St. Louis. They are receiving excellent care and going through much physical therapy which is a struggle for both of them as they go through what it will take to get them up and walking again. They will not be discharged from the rehab hospital until they are both able to get around safely using walkers. Once they are discharged and home they will continue to receive outpatient physical therapy until they are back to their strong selves and getting around without walkers safely. It will be a long road.
The extended family has gathered around to support the Pershing family during this extraordinarily difficult time and to minimize the anxiety of Mary and the boys as they receive treatment in separate hospitals. They are a strongly religious family and have endured hardships before; they know their faith in God will be a guiding light on this long journey. The journey ahead will be long and expensive.
Even with insurance, Mary and her boys will face many uninsured, injury-related expenses such as co-pays and deductibles, doctor visits, rehab therapy and home modifications. These expenses present a significant financial challenge to the Pershings — they need your help!
To assist with these uninsured expenses, fundraising campaign in Mary’s honor has been established with HelpHOPELive (formerly NTAF), a nonprofit organization that has been assisting the transplant community for nearly 30 years. In 2000, they expanded their mission to include those who have sustained a catastrophic injury. All contributions are tax-deductible, are held by HelpHOPELive in the Midwest/West Catastrophic Injury Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for injury-related expenses only. Please consider making a donation.For more information, please contact HelpHOPELive at 800.642.8399.

Thanks for your support!
Won’t you please help Mary, Josh, and Michael realize their dream of a speedy recovery and active life by contributing to the HelpHOPELive fundraising campaign? Your donation is greatly appreciated.
Thank you for helping.
Matthew Schneider
214-864-1269
mattscuba@gmail.com