A pool for Andrew
Donation protected
A Pool for Andrew…
Our son Andrew was involved in an ATV accident in 2011 at the age of 33 which paralyzed him from the chest down.
Andrew is a loving father of three boys and one little lady. He really enjoys taking them on outings and getaway’s which allows his children to see and experience much of the world around them. One day Andrew decided to go out riding in the desert to have some fun with two of his sons on their dirt bikes and ATV, never knowing he wouldn’t be returning home with them that day.
They were out riding for only a brief few minutes when Andrew’s wheel hit a depression in the sand which caused him to crash and forever changing his world. Instantly after the accident, Andrew was unable to feel his legs and knew he needed urgent help right away. Being on a dirt road in the middle of the desert with his sons by his side, he was forced to wait lying on the ground for help to arrive.
Being so far away from the nearest road, the only way to help was to have an emergency helicopter transport him directly to the hospital where he was immediately rushed into surgery. We were told the accident broke Andrew’s rib pushing it backward until it pierced his spine causing his paralysis.
It’s been a long road to recovery, and while having to deal with several other complications due to his injuries, Andrew has remained very optimistic dealing with his situation better then most. Andrew is a very strong willed person.
Shortly after, Andrew was forced to endure yet another side affect from being paralyzed. From having to remain sitting for long periods of time, he unfortunately developed an infection causing him to undergo another surgery to have his tail bone removed. Living without the use of his stomach muscles causes Andrew extreme pressure and pain in his back as well that cushions and pads are simply unable to relieve.
Andrew has now developed a disease that is only found in people inflicted with brain or spinal cord injuries. A large bone growth appeared on his hip which he was told is in-operable and is one more issue that causes Andrew to live in constant pain. One would think being paralyzed from your chest down would be enough, but it is really sad seeing him in such pain knowing there isn’t much that can be done to help.
Naturally, Andrew still misses many of the things we all take for granted but tries his best each day to be self reliant, all while being eager to help others when he can. One thing he still loves and can do without any help or assistance is swimming, but being self conscious due to a large scar from a childhood surgery across his abdomen, he never really gets much of a chance to swim freely without worry. And with the risk of getting even more infections, Andrew prefers not to go into public pools.
He has mentioned to my wife and I on several occasions how he really enjoyed the swimming sessions during his rehabilitation. In his own words, "I can still swim like a fish!" Unfortunately, he was forced to stop attending the rehab swimming sessions after his tail bone surgery, trying to avoid any further unnecessary infections and regrettably he hasn’t been able to make it back since.
My wife and I have been discussing different option we could do to relieve some of his pain and make Andrew more comfortable in his day to day life. We are now working on a small landing which will enable him to enter our house easier then with just a ramp. However one thing keeps coming up during our conversations that we really get excited about, even if it just seems too far out of reach.
We keep thinking how wonderful it would be to watch him swim again, and to be able to watch him swim with his children again with that brilliant smile of his would be better then a dream.
That is when I found this website and thought we should give it a try. We would like to build a swimming pool for Andrew in our backyard that could accommodate his needs and includes options that will allow him to enter and exit the pool on his own without much effort. We have large plans for someone with a large heart, and with all he does for others, our hopes are that there are people out there willing to help him as well.
We would like to thank everyone in advance for any support, thoughts and prayers.
Thank you!
Our son Andrew was involved in an ATV accident in 2011 at the age of 33 which paralyzed him from the chest down.
Andrew is a loving father of three boys and one little lady. He really enjoys taking them on outings and getaway’s which allows his children to see and experience much of the world around them. One day Andrew decided to go out riding in the desert to have some fun with two of his sons on their dirt bikes and ATV, never knowing he wouldn’t be returning home with them that day.
They were out riding for only a brief few minutes when Andrew’s wheel hit a depression in the sand which caused him to crash and forever changing his world. Instantly after the accident, Andrew was unable to feel his legs and knew he needed urgent help right away. Being on a dirt road in the middle of the desert with his sons by his side, he was forced to wait lying on the ground for help to arrive.
Being so far away from the nearest road, the only way to help was to have an emergency helicopter transport him directly to the hospital where he was immediately rushed into surgery. We were told the accident broke Andrew’s rib pushing it backward until it pierced his spine causing his paralysis.
It’s been a long road to recovery, and while having to deal with several other complications due to his injuries, Andrew has remained very optimistic dealing with his situation better then most. Andrew is a very strong willed person.
Shortly after, Andrew was forced to endure yet another side affect from being paralyzed. From having to remain sitting for long periods of time, he unfortunately developed an infection causing him to undergo another surgery to have his tail bone removed. Living without the use of his stomach muscles causes Andrew extreme pressure and pain in his back as well that cushions and pads are simply unable to relieve.
Andrew has now developed a disease that is only found in people inflicted with brain or spinal cord injuries. A large bone growth appeared on his hip which he was told is in-operable and is one more issue that causes Andrew to live in constant pain. One would think being paralyzed from your chest down would be enough, but it is really sad seeing him in such pain knowing there isn’t much that can be done to help.
Naturally, Andrew still misses many of the things we all take for granted but tries his best each day to be self reliant, all while being eager to help others when he can. One thing he still loves and can do without any help or assistance is swimming, but being self conscious due to a large scar from a childhood surgery across his abdomen, he never really gets much of a chance to swim freely without worry. And with the risk of getting even more infections, Andrew prefers not to go into public pools.
He has mentioned to my wife and I on several occasions how he really enjoyed the swimming sessions during his rehabilitation. In his own words, "I can still swim like a fish!" Unfortunately, he was forced to stop attending the rehab swimming sessions after his tail bone surgery, trying to avoid any further unnecessary infections and regrettably he hasn’t been able to make it back since.
My wife and I have been discussing different option we could do to relieve some of his pain and make Andrew more comfortable in his day to day life. We are now working on a small landing which will enable him to enter our house easier then with just a ramp. However one thing keeps coming up during our conversations that we really get excited about, even if it just seems too far out of reach.
We keep thinking how wonderful it would be to watch him swim again, and to be able to watch him swim with his children again with that brilliant smile of his would be better then a dream.
That is when I found this website and thought we should give it a try. We would like to build a swimming pool for Andrew in our backyard that could accommodate his needs and includes options that will allow him to enter and exit the pool on his own without much effort. We have large plans for someone with a large heart, and with all he does for others, our hopes are that there are people out there willing to help him as well.
We would like to thank everyone in advance for any support, thoughts and prayers.
Thank you!
Organizer
Edward Walters
Organizer
Compton, CA
