Andreas - The Great Comeback!
Donation protected
On February 10th, Andreas Linkwitz was mountain biking at Skeggs Point (El Corte de Madera Creek Open Space Preserve) on his own. From his watch and phone GPS, we know he was going at a fast speed down a bumpy hill and crashed. No one saw it happen, so we don't know what made him fall. He was wearing his helmet and lying by the side of the trail a little beyond his bike.
Another rider found him about 9 minutes after he fell and helped hold him while his friend called 911. He said Andreas was conscious but unable to speak, and was having trouble breathing. The ranger who responded made sure Andreas was "lifecoptered" to Stanford Medical Center where he was quickly scanned and rushed into neurosurgery for a clot on the right side of his brain.
The surgery was successful, thank God, but he clearly hit his head hard when he fell. He fractured his scull, his ocular bone, his cheek bone, his clavicle, seven ribs, and his pelvic bone. On February 22nd, he had surgery to help repair the pelvic bone and the other breaks and fractures are healing on their own.
Andreas spent all of February at Stanford in ICU, then was transferred to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Acute Rehabilitation Center (name is mouthful!) where he healed and did 3 hours of therapy/day until his discharged on April 12th.
Now that he's home, almost 3 months later, we are amazed by Andreas's progress as he's hiking, swimming, and riding the stationary bike (not jumping on a real bike any time soon!). He is going to outpatient therapy at Stanford with doctors, neuropsychologists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and physical therapists each week, so thank God we're only a 20 minute drive from Stanford!
Susan is currently taking a leave from work and is Andreas' 24/7 caregiver as his memory and comprehension heal from the brain injury. His strong and wonderfully stubborn personality pushes forward as he sets aggressive goals to be back to personal independence and to his career ASAP.
Throughout this journey, family and and friends from all over have been staying with us, visiting, bringing meals and groceries, driving the girls to school and events, sending hundreds of letters and cards, and praying for our family. Many of you have followed Andreas' progress on lotsahelpinghands.org (request to join the "Linkwitz Community" for updates and volunteer opportunities anytime).
So many people have asked how else they could help, and although we are OK at the moment, we anticipate that funds will be required beyond what the extended Linkwitz family is able to provide over the next couple of years. In order to meet this need, we're looking to raise $30,000. The funds will be used to bridge the gap between our regular income and our projected expenses from this accident.
Whether or not your able to donate, we know that we're not going through this alone. We thank God for you and all of your prayers that have blessed us, helped us to stay strong, and helped Andreas heal to this point. Thank you!
(Please note these donations are not tax deductible.)
Another rider found him about 9 minutes after he fell and helped hold him while his friend called 911. He said Andreas was conscious but unable to speak, and was having trouble breathing. The ranger who responded made sure Andreas was "lifecoptered" to Stanford Medical Center where he was quickly scanned and rushed into neurosurgery for a clot on the right side of his brain.
The surgery was successful, thank God, but he clearly hit his head hard when he fell. He fractured his scull, his ocular bone, his cheek bone, his clavicle, seven ribs, and his pelvic bone. On February 22nd, he had surgery to help repair the pelvic bone and the other breaks and fractures are healing on their own.
Andreas spent all of February at Stanford in ICU, then was transferred to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Acute Rehabilitation Center (name is mouthful!) where he healed and did 3 hours of therapy/day until his discharged on April 12th.
Now that he's home, almost 3 months later, we are amazed by Andreas's progress as he's hiking, swimming, and riding the stationary bike (not jumping on a real bike any time soon!). He is going to outpatient therapy at Stanford with doctors, neuropsychologists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and physical therapists each week, so thank God we're only a 20 minute drive from Stanford!
Susan is currently taking a leave from work and is Andreas' 24/7 caregiver as his memory and comprehension heal from the brain injury. His strong and wonderfully stubborn personality pushes forward as he sets aggressive goals to be back to personal independence and to his career ASAP.
Throughout this journey, family and and friends from all over have been staying with us, visiting, bringing meals and groceries, driving the girls to school and events, sending hundreds of letters and cards, and praying for our family. Many of you have followed Andreas' progress on lotsahelpinghands.org (request to join the "Linkwitz Community" for updates and volunteer opportunities anytime).
So many people have asked how else they could help, and although we are OK at the moment, we anticipate that funds will be required beyond what the extended Linkwitz family is able to provide over the next couple of years. In order to meet this need, we're looking to raise $30,000. The funds will be used to bridge the gap between our regular income and our projected expenses from this accident.
Whether or not your able to donate, we know that we're not going through this alone. We thank God for you and all of your prayers that have blessed us, helped us to stay strong, and helped Andreas heal to this point. Thank you!
(Please note these donations are not tax deductible.)
Organizer
Susan Linkwitz
Organizer
San Carlos, CA