A few months ago my 22-year old cousin, Steven Ruiz, was injured in a devastating car accident. This video tells his story: youtu.be
Steven suffered a C6 C7 incomplete spinal cord injury leaving him paralyzed. Steven’s life, and ours, changed in an instant.
Before the accident, Steven was an active and all around adventurous young man. Fortunately Steven received care and rehabilitation at the Atlanta Shepherd Center, a leading spinal cord injury rehabilitation center. Steven’s courage and spirit to recover have been an inspiration. He has a long road to recovery ahead of him and needs our unwavering support as he returns home to begin the next phase in his recovery.
Recovering from a spinal cord injury is not easy; it takes strong commitment, patience, and money. Unfortunately, there are no car insurance medical benefits for Steven and annual expenses for someone with a spinal cord injury can top $1 million. As Steven acclimates to life in a wheelchair, he and his family is faced with numerous medical expenses. There are many costly therapies and equipment not covered by insurance that could potentially help him regain more function below the level of his injury. In addition, our family needs to modify our home to make it accessible. With your help and generosity, Steven will be able to get the treatment he needs to make the fullest recovery possible with the hope of walking one day.
To help Steven meet his goal of living an active and independent life, a fundraising campaign in his honor has been established with HelpHOPELive, 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, and may be eligible for corporate matching programs with your employer. Donations are held by HelpHOPELive in the Southeast Spinal Cord Injury Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for injury-related expenses only. Please consider making a contribution.
Every donation to Steven’s recovery is appreciated beyond measure. We want to thank each and every one of you for being in our lives and helping us on the path towards a bright, happy, and healthy future.
With love,
Juliet Campino, Steven’s Cousin
[email protected]
