Drew Crew, a local non-profit, helping those who have suffered catastrophic injuries
COMMERCE TWP., Mich - Drew Clayborn turned his injury, which left him a quadriplegic, into a cause, helping others accident survivors. Today, he came back to visit the scene where it all happened, when his life was changed forever,
It was 12 years ago, March 26, 2010, at Walled Lake Central High School. He was near his sister's locker when he decided to do a backflip that he had been perfecting for his high school musical performance.
"I remember telling myself what's the worst that can happened and just jumping," described Clayborn.
That jump, left 15-year-old Clayborn hospitalized for months. When he left the U of M hospital, he was a quadriplegic. But he didn't let that stop him. He went back to school, and continued playing in the marching band. He went on to graduate from the University of Michigan, and now runs the Drew Crew.
The Drew Crew is a non-profit that the Clayborn family started, to raise money for his immense medical needs, as well as to help others like Drew, who have suffered catastrophic injuries.
"I always think about what if, what if I had died that day? It's a fight, it's a fight honestly, fighting every day," Clayborn said.
Clayborn's daily fight is not only for his health, physically and mentally, but also for his healthcare. Most insurance companies won't pay the fees needed for his daily life, so the Drew Crew raises funds to cover the additional $2,000 - $5,000 it takes each month for the nursing staff that keeps drew alive.
"I wouldn't be able to fight if it weren't for the support systems around me," said Clayborn.
Family, church, and even complete strangers, all help Drew to live a full life. But on this 12th anniversary of his accident, he's thinking about all of the people who suffered catastrophic injuries in car accidents and are now losing their nursing staff, because of changes to the catastrophic claims fund under Michigan's new no-fault auto insurance reform.
"The things that are happening right now in Michigan, absolutely break my heart. I have personal friends who are dying, who are committing suicide, who are losing their jobs, who are being put into nursing homes or hospitals and losing all their care. I know what that means for a family. We've been having to fight this fight from day one," added Clayborn.
Many are calling on state lawmakers to fix this, but it's not clear if they would be able to, so Drew's non-profit has now set up a way for people to help, to donate the $400 no-fault refund checks they'll be getting, allowing people with catastrophic injuries from car accidents, to have access to that money.
"The drew crew is creating an act and give-back program. We are going to do absolutely anything we can, and we are also here to help and here to talk," Clayborn said.
Because Drew knows a life-altering accident can happen to any of us.
"I think about how such a small event for someone can lead to something so big as this," concluded Clayborn.
For more information, log on to TheDrewCrew.org.
