Ryan is currently in need of a new wheelchair. He has grown two and a half inches since this one was sized. His rear wheels are rubbing on his legs causing skin breakdown and his front wheels are worn out. Insurance will not cover a new chair for another two and a half years. A customized replacement chair will cost approximately $1,100.
On January 12, 2015 Ryan DiGiovanni was in a serious and life changing motor vehicle accident. He was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with a complete T10 spinal cord injury. After months in the hospital, Ryan was left a paraplegic with no movement, feeling, or control below his belly button.
Fortunately, Ryan had the opportunity to travel to San Diego to be a part of Project Walk’s Paralysis Recovery Center’s Certification Program. Coming back to the east coast, Ryan continued his training at Project Walk in Mt. Laurel, NJ. After four months, Ryan regained the ability to independently abduct his legs, perform a leg press, lock and unlock his knees, crawl, and stand with only his knees supported! After another seven months, Ryan went to an orthopedic spinal surgeon and was reclassified from an ASIA A to ASIA C, a scale used to classify someone with a spinal cord injury and their level of severity. ASIA C means that the patient regained some movement, control, and sensation. Ryan went from a 1% chance of standing and walking again to over 50%.
Currently, Ryan is fulfilling his dream of being a paid musician. He performs several times a month at local assisted living communities. He feels he can inspire and relate to the residents there, and he does. Even with this opportunity however, there are still numerous medical expenses that insurance doesn’t cover for Ryan’s injury. He has visits regularly from nurses, social workers, massage therapists, and podiatrists. He also has wound care supplies for pressure sores, incontinence care supplies, medications, and more that require out-of-pocket costs.
To help offset such expenses, a fundraising campaign in Ryan’s 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 Mid-Atlantic Catastrophic Injury Fund, and are administered by Help Hope Live for injury-related expenses only. Ryan has chosen to fundraise with Help Hope Live in part because Help Hope Live assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility for donors. Donors can be sure that funds donated will be used only to pay or reimburse medically-related expenses. To make a tax-deductible donation to this fundraising campaign, please click on the yellow DONATE NOW button.
Thank you ahead of time for your thoughts, prayers and support for Ryan. Any donation amount, no matter how big or small, is one step closer to a bright future for Ryan.
Gratefully,
Carly Jones, Ryan’s fiancé
