Donations to The Drew Crew helps paralysis patients like Drew Clayborn
COMMERCE TWP., Mich. (FOX 2) - "I feel amazing. I feel strong. I feel motivated."
FOX 2 first met Drew Clayborn back in 2010 when he was a high school student. He became paralyzed while practicing a backflip.
12 years later, he's still going strong.
"For someone on a ventilator, for someone like myself who is C-1/C-2 complete paralysis, life expectancy was five years," said Clayborn. " Every day I live past that. I think about it all the time… I'm beating the odds. I have a second chance at life and I want to do as much as I can with it."
Clayborn is a graduate of the University of Michigan and now runs a non-profit called The Drew Crew. It was started by his family to help pay for his around-the-clock care.
The Drew Crew helps other paralysis patients with resources and it helps Drew, who is determined to walk again, receive groundbreaking therapies.
"I'm trying to focus on my chest, and my back and my balance," said Clayborn.
He inspires and educates people around the world who are paralyzed through his video on TikTok.
"I'm able to go to The Recovery Project in Livonia. I'm going there three days a week right now and I'm able to do so because my body is so healthy. In that process I really believe I'm going to walk again… I know for a fact I'm going to walk again. It's just a matter of when," said Clayborn.
It takes drive, determination and funding through the generous donations of supporters. Nursing costs alone are $3,000-$5,000 a month out of pocket.
"I would not be a human being in society if it weren't for my nurses, said Clayborn.
On Monday, Dec. 19, he's at Wonderland Lanes in Commerce Twp meeting some of the people who are faithful monthly donors to The Drew Crew.
"The community here of 1,000 league bowlers are all trying to chip in and grow a monthly recurring fund for me," said Clayborn.
Being a part of that monthly donation program gets donors into all the raffles The Drew Crew sponsors each year. It also gets you involved with a great program.
"We've gone to every league and told them about what he has happening, what his story is, and people have been extremely responsive," said Dave Hochstein, the owner of Wonderland Lanes. "It's been heartwarming to see how many people have wanted to get involved with the cause."
Hochstein says if 1,000 people signed up to donate just $3 a month, Drew could stop worrying about fundraising and truly focus on a recovery he's working so hard to achieve.
"Now I could really focus on making the systemic changes to paralysis… making the changes I want to my body and going after my recovery as hard as I can and really creating and working on this blueprint. The vision of how you should attack paralysis and I know it's going to happen. I feel it. I feel it every day," said Clayborn.
Visit their website thedrewcrew.org to get involved.