Ellie’s path to independence
“Airbnb.org gave me and my family a place to stay when travelling for physiotherapy. We’re really grateful for that help and support.”
Artist Ellie Dean lives with an incomplete spinal cord injury. For millions of people like Ellie in need of specialized care, treatment options close to home are either nonexistent or insufficient to meet their needs. When they have to travel far from home, Airbnb.org’s medical stays program makes it easier for patients to stay close to care.
On her healing journey, Ellie has traveled throughout the UK and even to the United States for treatment. Her mother and father travel with her. She recalls a time when her father slept in their van outside because there was only enough space for one parent to stay with her in the hospital, and they were far from home. On a recent visit to Liverpool, a four hour drive from the family’s home near Stevenage, Airbnb.org’s medical stay program made it possible for everyone to stay together in a comfortable space.
The surgery that changed everythingEllie’s recovery story started more than ten years ago, after doctors in the United Kingdom found a tumor the size of a small watermelon in her chest. Pressing against her spine. It had been there for years, growing undetected in a place difficult to see. And it almost took everything from her.
Complications during surgery to remove the tumor resulted in severe blood loss from a major artery.
“That [the blood loss] caused a kind of stroke in my spinal cord, and then damage to my spinal cord leading to a spinal cord injury.”
At 14 years old, Ellie woke up after that surgery to learn that doctors had successfully removed her tumor. But she no longer had full sensation in her legs. The procedure left her paralyzed from the waist down.
The path to independenceMeeting Ellie today, one thing becomes clear above all else: she’s a survivor. She describes herself as kind, creative and determined. That determination shines through in her approach to physiotherapy.
Ellie’s spinal cord injury is incomplete, which means that she retains some feeling in her legs — she could wiggle her toes early on, and there were other signs that she might regain some strength over time. Her doctors were optimistic. And they were right to be.A decade later, Ellie is dedicated to her physiotherapy. She walks with a zimmer frame and braces, but her legs still buckle underneath her sometimes. She is in the process of transitioning to a robotic c-brace that will help her reach her ultimate goal of increased independence. One day, she hopes to walk with crutches.
The Airbnb.org differenceAirbnb.org partners with nonprofits like Rooprai Spinal Trust in the UK to provide guests like Ellie with comfortable, accessible housing when treatment takes them away from home. Medical stays are fully funded by Airbnb.org, so guests like Ellie can focus on what matters most while they’re in care.
“I love [Airbnb.org] because I can bring my art things along and do a bit of that whilst I'm doing my physio.”
Eine Spende von 110 US-Dollar ermöglicht eine Nacht in einer vorübergehenden Unterkunft.
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