Supporting Side by Side Brain Injury Clubhouse
Each year, millions of people in the United States suffer from brain injuries. While these are usually caused by a traumatic accident, brain injury may also occur in healthcare settings, due to medical errors or negligence.
This was the case when in 2017 St. Francis Hospital in Columbus, GA was found “one hundred percent liable” for the injuries Sandra Williams suffered after routine neck surgery at St. Francis in 2012. When three days after surgery she returned to St. Francis with neck pain and an inability to swallow, a hospital physician failed to properly treat Mrs. Williams for a post-operative neck hematoma (a blood clot) that blocked her trachea and prevented oxygen from reaching her brain. Today, Williams suffers from brain damage, is blind and confined to a wheelchair. This blatant case of medical negligence resulted in one of the largest medical malpractice verdicts in the state, $26 million, which was argued and won by Lloyd Bell, Founder of Bell Law Firm.
Bell Law helps clients through the emotional and economic devastation that results from medical malpractice on a daily basis. Furthering his support of victims such as Mrs. Williams, Bell recently announced his commitment to the Side by Side Brain Injury Clubhouse 2020 Campaign with a lead $20,000 gift.
Atlanta-based Side by Side is the only nonprofit in the Southeast dedicated solely to rebuilding lives after brain injury. Supported by Atlanta’s legal community since 2000, Side by Side relies on contributions to provide continuous support that no other organization in the Atlanta area or surrounding states offers – support that enables people with brain injury to relearn life skills, to work, and to socialize, while helping their families navigate a lifelong journey of balancing care-giving with self-care. Its $3 million capital campaign must reach a grant-matching deadline by October 2018 to allow Side by Side to increase the number of people served by the organization.
“We need the support of Atlanta’s legal community to help Side by Side reach its goal before the challenge grant deadline. The legal community has been a huge part of Side by Side’s success to this point, but the job is not done. I will be calling on my colleagues to continue to support Side by Side and help us reach our goals in this campaign.” said Lloyd Bell, Founder of Bell Law Firm.
All contributions to the Side by Side 2020 campaign will go toward direct program support and long-term capital needs. Join the legal community in this effort by contacting Cindi Johnson at 770-469-9355 or cindi@sidebysideclubhouse.org.