NORWOOD, Ohio — A car crash in Las Vegas changed the lives of Norwood's Ellie and Brad Bognar overnight.
Brad has remained in intensive care at Las Vegas's University Hospital with a broken back, brain bleeds and a severe traumatic brain injury since his taxi was hit by what Ellie believes to be a drunk driver outside of the New York New York hotel on June 12.
An automated text message from Apple notifying Brad's emergency contacts of a crash was the first message Ellie saw when she woke up, so she called Brad's friend who was also in the taxi.
"I can't stop thinking about my voice asking 'Andrew, is he alive?' That's not a question any spouse should have to ask," Ellie said.
Since the crash, Ellie said Brad's condition has swayed from being nearly unresponsive on a ventilator to recently being able to wake, identify people in photos and respond to commands.
She said being home in Greater Cincinnati, among a significant support system and their dog Friday would do wonders for his recovery, but the medically assisted flight could cost as much as $100,000.
Ellie's GoFundMe to fund the journey has raised nearly $35,000 in a day.
"It's been incredible," she said. "We've had friends, family, podiatrists who have given money."
Ellie said there's a chance her husband has a years-long journey to recovery ahead of him, but she hasn't given up the fight.
"He's still very confused and definitely not himself, but we're starting to see progress," she said.
Anyone interested in contributing can visit the family's GoFundMe page here.
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