Community Corner

Sea Cliff GoFundMe Campaign Raises $52K for Accident Victim

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An online campaign dedicated to raising money for an accident victim is making progress towards its goals of raising $500,000.

Sea Cliff's Bridget Ellin and her family created a GoFundMe page titled created a GoFundMe page titled Casey's Recovery Fund. 

The page reads: 

Family, Friends, and anyone else who Casey has touched in his life:

On June 1st, 2013 Casey was in a life-changing accident at Jones Beach. On a day just like any other, Casey and his friends went to the beach to enjoy the first warm day of the season. Casey dove into a wave and the water was too shallow. Casey fractured his C4, C5, and C6 vertebrae. He was immediately helicopter transported to Nassau University Medical Center. Within 24 hours of his stay Casey had two life-saving surgeries; spinal fusion C4 and C5, and a femoral graft.

It is too early for a complete prognosis, however, Casey is suffering from quadraplegia. His hospital stay has not been an easy one, Casey has had numerous complications: multiple bleeding ulcers, bradycardia, bacterial infections, pneumonia, pulmonary embolisms, sepsis, and high fevers. After 30 days on life-support Casey is finally breathing on his own. We're hoping to get him to rehab soon, where we'll have a better idea of his prognosis. 

Casey is still in very critical condition and his recovery is expected to be both lengthy in duration and extremely cost-intensive. Casey's immediate treatments are being covered by insurance. However, the costs of recovery and rehabilitation are expected to accumulate to a much larger amount than our family will be able to afford. If you are able to contribute absolutely anything, whether it be words of encouragement, professional guidance or monetary contribution, it would be an enormous help towards Casey's long and arduous recovery. 100% of the donations received will go directly to Casey, myself, and our parents to help pay for the costs of rehabilitation, a handicap accessible home, any necessary equipment, and ongoing care. Basically anything we can do, or provide Casey, to help improve the quality of his life. 

Words can't really express what my brother means to me... I've been thinking long and hard for words to encapsulate his spirit and "infectious" keeps coming to mind. Whether it be his smile, snorting laugh, kind heart, or young spirit, my brother infects the hearts of anyone and everyone he comes in contact with. He's everyone's best friend. Lets all come together and help our best friend succeed.


Thank you all, 
Love Always, 
Bridget Ellin & Family

A total 858 people have donated $51,985 in five months.


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