Several of Michael Hubbard’s friends and family members did something for him today that he can’t do for himself. They jumped out of an airplane to celebrate his 18th birthday.
Hubbard always wanted to skydive, his mother Nancy Reyer said and when he was a young child she promised him they would skydive together when he turned 18.
Hubbard has been hospitalized since May 28, 2011, following a tragic accident when he was 14, when a liquid fuel firepot exploded in his face, leaving him with third-degree burns that caused traumatic brain injury.
Reyer planned the skydiving event as a fundraiser for New Beginnings Community Center’s Brendan House, which will provide long-term residential care for TBI survivors, including Hubbard.
The event raised an estimated $4,000, Reyer said. Six people, including Hubbard’s cousin Kris Smalls, made the jump. The others were Jerry Halpin, pastor of North Shore Christian Church, Kathleen Shea, Judy Losee, Michael Curtis and Rebecca Van Houten.
RiverheadLOCAL photos by Peter Blasl
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