Jesse Sternberg

On October 15, 2013 Jesse Sternberg’s life was changed dramatically. He was a passenger in a terrible car accident which caused him to become a quadriplegic. Though we can’t take away his pain or frustration, there is one area where we can help, and that is financially.

Jesse was just embarking on his college career when his plans were violently derailed. Jesse was always smart, athletic and mentally tough. His toughness and humor shone through as he was brought into the ER, knowing he had a broken neck and other injuries. After the nurse had notified his parents she asked if there was anyone else he wanted her to call. He said, “Yeah, can you call God and ask him to fix me?”

After a few weeks at the ICU in Peoria, IL, Jesse was transferred to Northwestern ICU in Chicago, IL. He had to overcome several battles with pneumonia, twice going “code blue”, various setbacks and days of pain, but he has never given up and has kept fighting. After about a month, Jesse was able to lift one arm two to three inches, control a motorized wheelchair with that arm, and his voice started slowly recovering. He has a long and difficult road ahead of him.

Jesse’s family will incur many expenses that are not covered by insurance. He needed home modifications (>$50,000), a transport vehicle (>$40,000), a special bed and mattress and special exercise equipment that has costs over $100,000. To help with these costs, a fundraising campaign in Jesse’s honor has been established with HelpHOPELive, a highly-regarded nonprofit organization that has been in existence for 30 years. All contributions are tax-deductible, are held by HelpHOPELive in the Southeast Catastrophic Injury Fund, and are administered for Jesse’s injury-related expenses only.

Thank you very much for your generosity, your emotional support and your prayers during Jesse’s recovery and rehabilitation. Together we can help him fight to regain his life.

Originally written by Elana Hokin Cepa (Jesse’s 1st cousin on behalf of the Sternberg family)