49-year-old Keene mountain biker aided by California-based High Fives Foundation while recovering from spinal cord injury
High Fives Foundation awards Empowerment Grant to support his house payments during rehabilitation
(Truckee, California. June 15, 2016) — 49-year-old Jeff Elliot was mountain biking in January this year in southern New Hampshire when he went over the handlebars, landed on his back causing a burst-fracture to his T-4 vertebrae.
Elliot was immediately rushed to Spaulding Medical Center in Boston where he underwent spinal surgery, finding out that he had suffered a complete spinal cord injury and would be paralyzed from that point of injury and below.
He reached out to Lake Tahoe, California-based nonprofit, the High Fives Foundation for support while he undergoes in-patient rehabilitation. They are funding his request for financial support towards his mortgage payments so he can solely focus on regaining strength, mobility, and specifically independence so he may continue to provide for his family.
“This grant from high fives will take substantial financial pressure off,” said Elliot. “It’s going to allow me to focus on recovery, and that’s what I need to do.”
“One of Jeff’s first goals is to achieve a level of independence that he can return to work,” said Roy Tuscany, Executive Director of the High Fives Foundation. “He is working very hard to get to that point. After that, he will return to the mountain sports he loves.”
In the month of May alone, the High Fives Foundation granted $37,186 to 11 High Fives Athletes.
