Maryanne West

Dear Friends and Supporters,

I am writing to you on behalf of Maryanne West, a friend from school and church. On January 16, Maryanne suffered a life-changing spinal cord injury after falling down the stairs in her home leaving her paralyzed below the shoulders. Maryanne has spent the last five months in medical and rehabilitation hospitals, but returned home on June 17.

Maryanne graduated from Cherry Hill High School West and Temple University. She and her husband Rich have two active teenage sons, Richard and Matthew. They are a busy family, involved in baseball, basketball, roller hockey, Boy Scouts and youth groups at Trinity Lutheran. Maryanne volunteered for many years at Bridle Path Elementary on the Home and School Board, including a term as its President. She also served as Den Mother for Pack 229 and at her church’s nursery. Most recently, Maryanne worked as a cafeteria aide at various elementary schools and Penndale Middle School.

In spite of the many struggles that she faces, Maryanne remains hopeful that she will be able to return to a productive life in the community through the support of family and friends. Maryanne has worked tirelessly in her therapy programs that have strengthened her body and helped her regain some movement in her legs, arms and hands.

Despite the significant improvement in her condition, Maryanne continues to need full-time care. The Wests have hired a live-in-home health aide, which has to be paid for out-of-pocket as insurance coverage has run out. Maryanne and Rich are hoping to purchase a used wheelchair accessible van that will provide them with greater mobility and independence. They are also hoping to add a wheelchair accessible bathroom on the first floor of their home.

To help with the financial burden of Maryanne’s uninsured expenses, a fundraising campaign in her 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, are held by HelpHOPELive in the Mid-Atlantic Spinal Cord Injury Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for injury-related expenses only.

Some of Maryanne’s friends are planning fundraising events in the fall and winter. We could certainly use your help! Please email me at [email protected] to volunteer or donate any raffle or auction items or services. Thank you so much for any help that you can give to this wonderful family!

Sincerely,

Beth Staab [email protected] 215-393-7847