We are going to conclude the GoFundMe due to the changing and difficult circumstances surrounding the beneficiary. Sc’Eric is no longer interested in attending NTC, and is currently resistant to the concept of any formal assessment or rehabilitation. While we cannot diagnose anything, we know it can be hard for a person with a traumatic brain injury to recognize that they are having difficulties:
https://biausa.org/public-affairs/media/self-awareness-issues-after-traumatic-brain-injury
It makes a sort of sense that if your brain is mostly stuck on “I’m mostly ok, it’s fine” that you wouldn’t believe you need assistance. And even if everyone else is implying otherwise, you might just feel like the whole world has gone crazy instead of suddenly being expected to distrust what your own mind is telling you. Denial is also a natural response to extreme life events, and could also be in play. Memories missing from the time after the accident could also make it difficult to make events make sense. We can only speculate.
If you interact with Sc’Eric, please know that he will probably appreciate being mostly treated as if nothing happened – and not want to talk about the accident (or his finances). Here are some tips from others from TBIs that may be helpful for friends to consider subtly implementing:
https://www.brainline.org/article/lost-found-what-brain-injury-survivors-want-you-know
Additionally Sc’Eric has always been a private person, and is distressed both by the publicity and that anyone knows about his accident. As hard as we’ve tried, we have been unable to successfully explain to him how the Trust works. Please be assured the funds collected will be used to pay bills in ways beneficial to him going forward, and in line with any legal restrictions imposed by the trust (we cannot provide cash, and we need to avoid payments that would be detrimental to any future benefits he may be entitled to, regardless of whether he is pursuing those at this time).
If you see him riding around town, please know that Sc’Eric has been provided with a biking helmet. However, we have no more ability to force him to wear it than we do any other adult. Those who do wear your helmet, Thank You!
Concluding the GoFundMe
On Sc'Eric's Return and an in-person Fundraising Opportunity
Sc'Eric did have an unplanned grocery store trip on Saturday and was spotted by someone. This isn't bad - we're trying to give him opportunities to get back into life - but it's important to understand that while he looks the same, his brain is not in the same place, and he doesn't always realize that (anosognosia). There's an article that, while focused on caretakers, will likely apply to all of us: The Invisible Grief of Loving Someone Who Came Back Different
That
said, I think it behooves all of us to learn at least a little more
about recovery from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and we have a unique opportunity coming up that is also a fundraiser for Sc'Eric. I'll let
the organizer, Kathy Morrow, take the reins for a moment:
Dear Friends,You are cordially invited to a special event on August 20, 2026, beginning at 5pm, at 3Dots Downtown, State College, where Lethan Candlish will share, "Who Am I Again?," a story of recovery from traumatic brain injury.In addition to Lethan's masterful performance, the evening will feature community organizations sharing resources and creative activities, refreshments, an opportunity to participate in a journaling and storytelling exercise, and a talk-back with Lethan following his performance.Thanks to an Awesome Grant from 3Dots, the event is free for all individual and group participants. Many of you may know, Sc'Eric Horner, a beloved local bartender. Sc'Eric was in a bicycle accident this June and suffered a traumatic brain injury. A Go-Fund-Me has recently been created to help cover costs of what will be astronomical bills. With blessings from Sc'Eric's loved ones, and Lethan, we will be collecting funds for Sc'Eric. In Lethan's words, "It will be a privilege to collect donations - the purpose of this piece is to reach out and if I can help in any way, it will be an honor. I’m so sorry to hear about his accident and hope this story can help in some small way."We hope to see you on August 20 for a creative, thoughtful, and moving time together.Thank you,Kathy Morrow, event organizer
I've also added the flyer to this post
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GoFundMe progress and the road to NTC
Thank you ALL very much for your donations! We’re nearly a quarter of the way to our goal after only a week! You guys rock! Every one of the donations counts and will help Sc’Eric.
Considering the degree of his injury Sc’Eric is doing amazing. He is still having balance issues, some issues communicating, can’t smell much (he is happy he can smell coffee; says that food tastes fine) and problems with short term memory and recall. Logical decisions made based on improperly updated memories can be dangerous. As such, he cannot yet be left alone. But the great news is that he says he remembers everyone in the photos, and friends who have visited say he is very much Himself.
Sc’Eric has hit a mutual limit on further extending his time at Encompass. His improvement has surpassed what their resources are designed to accommodate and they are obligated to move him along -- and he is unhappy continuing to stay there. With the NTC not yet open, it’s been a bit of a scramble to figure out how to move forward from that. As there are no close enough ‘bridge’ facilities that are a good match for his needs, desires, and Medicaid financing, he has returned to State College for the time being! He will initially be staying with a friend until we can make his home safe and make additional arrangements for living assistance with Home Instead. We will be coordinating a combination of inpatient and mobile local physical and speech/cognition therapy options until NTC opens. We hope to post a photo once he has had the opportunity to make himself presentable.
Fixed links
The Donating to Sc'Eric post went out to email with links that unfortunately could not be clicked/tapped*, so here are the two links from it once again.
- How To Help - GoFundMe, options for non-GoFundMe help
- GoFundMe - direct link to the GoFundMe
*They could be long-pressed/right-clicked, but that wasn't how it was supposed to be.
Donating to Sc'Eric!
Thank you all for your patience! We are excited to finally reach the goal we've been working towards: there is now a way to help Sc'Eric via donations!
After much paperwork, a Supplemental Needs Trust has been set up for Sc'Eric to hold all donated monies in a protected status without interfering with his Medicaid eligibility! Long-time friends Maria Day and Art Shipkowski are co-managing that trust. It can pay for physical therapy services not covered by Medicaid, and everyday expenses other than food and housing. The GoFundMe funds will go into that trust.
This link leads to a page with the GoFundMe link, and will host additional donation information as we receive/arrange it. We will need your help sharing on social media, and by word of mouth. We are printing cards with a QR code (and a written out link) and will be distributing them, starting with local businesses. Please contact us to coordinate other fundraising efforts and please be mindful of wording so no-one is misled -- the money isn’t going directly to Sc'Eric, it’s going into a trust for his benefit. If you are planning on donating a large amount, please contact us to arrange a direct donation. (We are looking into adding more ways to pay directly.)
Meanwhile, Sc'Eric looks fine, and acts like himself, but he still has a long road ahead of him. Per the GoFundMe content, we are hoping to get him into intensive rehabilitation at the Select Medical Neuro Transitional Center.
We've been sending a few pages of photos to add to Sc'Eric’s binder about once a week. We encourage those of you who haven't sent in photos of themselves to do so. "As he would have seen you" just means not a professional headshot if you always dressed casual; not a bikini/speedo/swim trunks shot if you weren’t a swim buddy. The photos do more than help him remember, they also let him know you care.
Rehab hospital update
First off, thanks to those who have sent photos! We've printed off the initial set and look forward to printing off others for Sc'Eric. In case you need the email address: photos4sceric@fox-dreams.com
New address & a new way to help
On Thursday afternoon Sc'Eric was transferred to inpatient therapy at Encompass Health in Mechanicsburg. We've made sure he has some clothes and toiletries from home.
Unfortunately, Sc'Eric hasn't yet recognized people who should be familiar to him. His recovery path is going to be measured in terms of months and years, not weeks. The path is different for every patient with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Brains are weird and unique. The trauma is still recent and his brain is still healing, so try not to despair. Hope is powerful.
We should know more this week after he's been settled in for a little and had time to adjust.
Address for cards, etc (but not flowers because of his allergies): (note: they moved rooms since this was first posted, this has been adjusted)
Scott Eric Horner
Room #247
175 Lancaster Blvd
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
We would like to create a physical photo album for Sc'Eric, to help him "remember" himself and his life. If you have the rare photo of yourself with him, or yourself as he would have seen you, or perhaps of events he attended and enjoyed, please send them to photos4sceric@fox-dreams.com, with a short caption: your name, the place in the photo if relevant, and who you are to him. We'll get them printed and into an album for him.