Support Growing For Chatham Woman Run Over By Car

CHATHAM, NJ - Some days, Maureen Mathews said can't stand to put on a sock, much less her leg brace. A return to work for her is impossible since she was run over by a car crossing the street in Chatham but thanks to the growing support of a GoFundMe campaign started on her behalf, she may be able to keep her home.

The fundraiser was launched by Mathews' sister-in-law Susan Storey, has reached over $11,000 toward the $15,000 goal.

"We were really touched by her idea and desire to take on this project. Naturally, we no idea how GoFundMe worked and with all that went on last year, we could not offer tech guidance," Mathews said.

Mathews underwent a long recovery from a litany of injuries: a broken pelvic bone, sacrum, bruised sternum, cracked ribs, collapsed lung, ruptured bladder, broken clavicle, gashes on her head, a puncture wound inside her knee and numerous cuts and bruises.

"Due to my lengthy stay in ICU and the number of surgeries, our car insurance limit was hit very quickly. My health insurance through my employer then kicked in. Under ERISA laws, the insurance company is entitled to be first in line for reimbursement," Mathews said. "During my FMLA leave I was able to continue my insurance coverage as an employee. As I was not able to return to work when my FMLA leave expired, I am now paying my insurance under COBRA. The trauma orthopedic surgeon was out-of-network, thus, his bills are the highest."

The recovery is still ongoing and extends beyond the physical.

"My recovery was very slow at first and in addition to the physical injuries, I am now suffering from PTSD and Post-ICU syndrome. I went to physical therapy up until December of 2018 and need to start speech therapy as I have word recall issues," Mathews said. "The extensive nerve damage from the left side of my pelvis to my left foot is debilitating a lot of days. There are days when I can’t stand to put on a sock let alone my brace, which I will have to wear for the rest of my life. My husband has been my primary caretaker and that has caused a big change in our relationship."

Mathews said she grieves for the life she and her husband had before the accident.

"I am very thankful and grateful that the trauma team at Morristown Hospital saved my life, but there are a lot of days when I am down in the dumps and grieving for what I’ve lost as a result of the accident that’s caused my disability," she said.

Mathews told Patch her day-to-day routine involves numerous doctor's visits and therapy sessions.

"My husband tries to get me out once a week to a knitting group session in Summit, which has been a wonderful support and lifts my spirits. My family and friends visit often, but they all live out of this area," she said.

Mathews said the financial strain on top of everything else has been challenging and both she and her husband have had to take money out of their 401(k) and charge medical bills on credit cards just to keep them out of collections.

"The upheaval of our lives, our routines, our dreams and goals has been a lot to process. The added burden of the loss of a full income and medical bills and now higher medical premiums has put even more of a financial strain on us," she said. "I worry about my husband because I know he has a tremendous amount on his shoulders and went through such stress while waiting for me to come out of the coma. The finances are stressing him out even more as we face another of unexpected medical bills. You budget and save for the 'unexpected,' but this type of accident and aftermath don’t fit into that 'unexpected' category.

The driver of the car that struck Mathews, Mary Quigley, also from Chatham, allegedly told police she was making a left from North Passaic Avenue onto Main Street, and did not see Mathews in the crosswalk. Quigley was principal of Washington Avenue School until she retired in 2016.

Mathews said there is litigation pending to recoup losses from Quigley, but that will take time.

"The lawsuit is crawling along and may not reach court for another year to year and a half due to lack of available judges," she said.

In the interim, Mathews hopes that this campaign will allow her to focus more on her recovery.

"The GoFund Me page is a true gift that we will be forever grateful for and will never forget the kindness and generosity of those who donate," Mathews said. "We are so very thankful."

Those interested can donate directly here.

(Photo courtesy of GoFundMe, a Patch promotional partner)

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