Mental Health

Charlie Sheen Donates $10,000 for Teen's Therapy Dog

By Makini Brice | Update Date: Feb 15, 2013 10:37 AM EST

Fifteen-year-old Teagan Marti didn't know very much about actor Charlie Sheen before, but she certainly does.

In 2010, 15-year-old Teagan Marti suffered devastating injuries when she fell 100 feet in a free-fall ride. According to Yahoo UK, airbags and nets were supposed to be deployed to catch the thrill-seekers on the Terminal Velocity attraction in Wisconsin, but they were not deployed in her case.

The Huffington Post reports that the accident caused the teenager to suffer from brain, internal, pelvis and spine injuries in 2010. At the time of the incident, doctors thought that she would never walk again; for months, Teagan was hospitalized, unable to use her arms or her legs. However, Teagan has since regained the ability to walk, with the aid of a walker.

Since the accident though, Teagan's mother Julie Marti says that the family is in financial trouble. The medical bills and a divorce have forced the family's house into foreclosure, and their insurance is no longer covering physical therapy.

The family found help in the form of Lucia Wilgus. After hearing about Teagan's injuries, Ms. Wilgus befriended the Marti family. She has since been instrumental in fundraising efforts for the family. In order to pay for the therapy dog that the Marti family needed, Wilgus wrote to Charlie Sheen's godfather, a family friend. Sheen's godfather sent the letter to the actor.

In the letter, Wilgus estimated that the therapy dog would cost $6,000. However, Sheen wired the family $10,000 - nearly double the cost - for personal costs.

"I like to pay it forward," Sheen said during a phone interview. "People come into your orbit for a reason. You don't always know what that is ahead of time, but if I ignore these requests then I don't have any opportunity to see where these things lead us, or lead me."

In July of last year, the actor donated $1 million to help wounded American soldiers.

He said that he does not like to publicize his donations most of the time, but he hoped that this one would serve as an inspiration to others.

The golden retriever, which will be the teenager's always-present companion, is currently being trained to perform tasks like turning on the lights.

The dog will arrive at the Marti home in September. Teagan says that she has not yet decided on a name.

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