On February 12th, 2012, my daughter, Michele, suffered a catastrophic snowmobile accident leaving her paralyzed from her shoulders down. What was supposed to be a fun afternoon changed her life forever. After spending 1 month in rehab, in Southern California, she returned to her small town to start this new way of life. Due to unfortunate circumstances, she was unable to continue with therapy, so what progress she had made in rehab soon deteriorated. After 1 ½ years she was able to relocate to a better situation and is now getting the help she needs.
Michele is a graduate from Chico State in Liberal Studies. Her passion for education led her to teach life skills to special education, hearing impaired high school students. She was one of the few sign language interpreters and had an amazing gift connecting with this population; and really made a difference in their lives. She also had a love for cooking, so during the summer she prepared and cooked meals for the students attending UC Berkeley Forestry Camp.
Michele has always been a very active person with an ability to achieve her goals. Her primary goal today is to walk again. While in Roseville she attended a program specifically designed for people with Spinal Cord Injuries using Functional Integrative Therapy called SCI FIT. She returned to Southern California in 2017 and began NEXTSTEP. Michele has shown great progress during her time in these programs; however, the ongoing expense has become a burden to the family due to health challenges of other family members. Her insurance does not pay for this therapy. Another major expense is her 20 year old wheelchair accessible van, retrofitted for her needs which requires ongoing maintenance. Being such an active person, who suddenly requires total care, is a challenge in every way. Yet, Michele remains optimistic and hopeful she will again walk and be more independent. She continues to improve her mobility, core strength and balance.
To help with the financial burden of Michele’s uninsured expenses, a fundraising campaign in her honor has been established with Help Hope Live, a trusted nonprofit organization that has been providing community-based fundraising guidance to patients and their families for more than 30 years. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law, are held by Help Hope Live in the Spinal Cord Injury Fund, and are administered by Help Hope Live for injury-related expenses only. Please consider a contribution.
For credit card contributions, please select the GIVE button on this page or call 800.642.8399.
Or:
Make checks payable to:
Help Hope Live
Note in memo section
In honor of Michele Edwards
Please send to:
2 Radnor Corporate Center
100 Matsonford Road, Suite 100
Radnor, PA 19087
Thank you for your support and prayers for Michele. Your assistance is essential to her ongoing recovery.
Sincerely,
Carol Mitchell
Michele’s mother
(310) 920-4339
