3 min read

Just before Thanksgiving Day 2019, our members were driving across the country to return home to their families. The first night home was spent telling their loved ones about the new men they’d initiated just weeks before. Night faded into day as they reconnect with friends who chose different paths after high school. Kyle Osborne (Tau, ‘19), like so many, followed the same routine. The only difference is that he didn’t wake up in his childhood bedroom the following morning.

His Brothers woke up in their childhood bedrooms shocked and confused for their friend. Osborne was rushed into emergency surgery to remove a part of his skull after a car accident. He suffered two strokes, hemorrhages and internal and external bleeding. His roommate, Quinten Fedor (Tau, ‘19) drove as quickly as possible to be at his bedside.

“Kyles accident had a great effect on each and every one of us, our chapter and the Greek community here at Washington State University. Not being able to see him every day and hearing his laugh echo throughout the halls is something we all miss daily. We have been humbled by this journey and it taught us to appreciate every second of life and to not take anything for granted” says Will St. Mary (Tau, ‘19), High Alpha at Washington State University and friend of Osborne.

It was no surprise the medical bills were piling high while the fluid in his brain was doing the same. After getting permission from the family, Osborne’s Brothers created a GoFundMe page that raised over $60,000 to go directly toward his medical expenses. Two months in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) eats that amount of money as quickly. It was a good thing his chapter wasn’t finished making a difference.

December 8th, 2019, Brothers hosted a breakfast for community and university members to attend in Osbornes honor. While offering pancakes and bacon, the chapter sold wristbands with, “#OsborneStrong” printed on the front. Those wristbands were their daily reminder of Osborne’s expected recovery through the prayers his family held so desperately onto.

“He’s got the type of personality where he feels like your best friend after spending a short time knowing him. He has always wanted to live a great life, he looked forward to having a family and how excited he was to be a dad. He was always talking about how excited he was to have a future home” says St. Mary.

The thought of a white picket fence and kids running in the yard was the kind of life that Osborne longed for. It was the American dream that circled in his head when the going got tough. In these moments, when the going is tougher than it has ever been, that white picket fence is the hope we hold onto during Osborne’s recovery.

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Today, Osborne is approaching his third month in the hospital with his family by his side. His communication is limited to following his loved ones around the room with his eyes. He’s been diagnosed with a late onset injury named Diffuse Axonal Injury that causes micro bleeds throughout the brain. Osborne is set to move to a rehabilitation center, however, his insurance company does not believe that he has made enough progress to cover to costs. The family is asking that their community of #OsborneStrong warriors raise $250,000 to support his recovery.

If you would like to donate toward Kyle Osborne’s medical expenses, please utilize his GoFundMe page. To stay involved with his recovery, follow orbornestrong on Instagram and visit https://osbornestrong.com/ for frequent updates following his wellness appointments. To get more information about the chapters upcoming fundraiser brunch, follow our Washington State University chapter on Instagram.

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