Husband-and-wife couple Kevin and Jane Sebesky have had a tough time of late. Kevin was stricken with a series of infections that left him paralyzed from the waist down. And upon his release, the full impact was felt when the bills began arriving. Kate Fishman reported the Doylestown community’s response in the New Hope-Lambertville Patch.

Soon after arriving home, the financial hits started walloping the couple: $10,000 in copay for a power wheelchair; $17,000 to modify the home shower; $20,000 for a new vehicle.

And there were costs associated with his in-home therapy, an ironic dash of cold water for Jane, a physical therapist herself.

“You’d think that I would know [the cost of] all this, but clearly I had no idea,” she said. “I just was flabbergasted.”

The couple’s adult children turned to GoFundMe for help, seeking $15,000. The donations that arrived doubled that target. But the Sebesky obligations continue to mount. The fund’s request has now risen to $100,000.

Still, Kevin is extremely grateful.

“I don’t want to sound like my story is so sad,” he said. “There are certainly positive elements. You can see the silver lining in everything if you try. And knowing that there are that many people out there that love you or that are willing to donate to help you — that’s a silver lining.”

More on this story of how a paralyzed Doylestown resident inspired so much action in others is at the New Hope-Lambertville Patch.