On Tuesday, May 30, 2006, Dana Martino, her son Matthew and their family dog, Jimmy were involved in a near fatal car accident on Route 93. Miraculously, Matthew, their four year son has survived the accident with a minor concussion, as he was rescued from the wreckage by a Good Samaritan, Chris Donovan, who crossed two lanes of traffic on foot and had to break the windows to pull Matthew from the crushed back seat.

Dana suffered the brunt of the impact and was med-flighted to Massachusetts General Hospital where she remains in the intensive care unit. Dana's injuries are severe – both her back and neck were broken and she has suffered a serious spinal cord injury. This is in addition numerous other injuries, including several fractured ribs, a broken nose and a lacerated liver. The day following the accident, Dana underwent an intensive 14 hour operation to stabilize and fuse her broken neck and back. Sadly, the news family and friends desperately waited following the surgery never came – Dana remains paralyzed and unable to move her legs or arms. The medical team of doctors informed the family that the paralysis is likely permanent in light of the inability to move her arms and legs during the critical 24-48 hours following surgery.

Despite the devastating diagnosis, Dana recently began breathing on her own without the use of the ventilator the week following the accident. Dana also recently commenced squeezing her hands and moving her left foot – albeit sporadically – and we hope that she continues to develop some functionality with her hands so as to assist her with simple tasks, such as manipulating a joy stick on a wheelchair. In the grand scheme of things, I would suspect that most of us, myself included, tend to take such instinctive actions for granted - for Dana this is a milestone! Thankfully, she did not suffer any brain damage and is able to communicate by blinking her eyes. Dana is aware of what has happened, she is also aware that her son is okay, and is also aware that the family dog, “Jimmy,” did not survive the accident. Although Matthew’s night terrors have subsided at the moment, he constantly asks for his “best buddy” – Jimmy – and demands to know why God decided his dog had to go to heaven and why his Mommy cannot hug him or kiss him since the accident . . .

For those of you who know Dana, as a family member, friend or co-worker, you know her incredible strength and good nature as a Daughter, Sister, Mother, Aunt, Wife and most recently – a breast cancer survivor. Dana is recovering from a recent double mastectomy only a few weeks ago. Dana was diagnosed with breast cancer approximately one year ago. She has endured four surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation over the course of the past year.

The family is out of balance at the moment. Dana’s husband, Marc, has been out of work at her side when not caring for their four year old son, Matthew. The recent news of her paralysis and the extensive necessary rehabilitation will require a tremendous amount of support, both emotionally and financially, for Dana, Marc and their son Matthew for the months and years to come. We are asking that everyone help the Martino family in piecing their lives back together and provide for their widespread needs.

Thank you,

Patty Davis
Family member & Fund Trustee