Help Matt Adapt to His New Life After His Spinal Cord Injury

Help Support Matt Stengel and His Family After His Accident

Our Story

Hi, I’m Katie, and I want to share the story of my brother-in-law, Matt Stengel. Recently, Matt suffered a life-altering accident while repairing his roof, resulting in serious injuries including spinal cord injury beginning at the Level T10 and considered to be a complete injury. Practically speaking, this means that he is now paraplegic and there is not any reasonable expectation that he will recover use of his lower body. We know that miracles are possible, but we are looking at the reality of adapting life with this new challenge.

The Impact

Matt is a beloved husband and father, as well as a dedicated administrator at Morrilton Medical Clinic. He is an avid gardener, skilled handyman, and an active volunteer in his church and community. His unwavering spirit and strong work ethic have inspired his four children and many others. Unfortunately, following his accident, Matt had to be airlifted to UAMS, where he underwent a 5 hour spinal surgery and a subsequent surgery on his right hand to repair 4 broken metacarpals and several severed tendons. Currently, he has 5 pins in his hand, which will require another surgery and rehabilitation. After spending 5 days in ICU and 5 days in acute care, he was transferred to a spinal cord rehabilitation program at Baptist Health.

During his 2.5 weeks in rehab, he began to learn new skills and modifications for activities of daily living. However, with his right hand being non-weight-bearing and still out of commission, his rehabilitation potential is currently limited. He will be discharged home this week and will continue home health physical and occupational therapy for the next few weeks to help with transfers and learning new skills around the house. The plan is to return to inpatient rehab once his hand heals, allowing him to work on upper body strengthening and gain more independence.

The road ahead will be long and challenging as Matt and his family adjust to a new reality in their life. He will require ongoing medical care, therapy, and support to adjust to this new chapter in his life.

How You Can Help

There has already been a great amount of support from their family and local community by way of prayers and bringing meals and other assistance to help with the care of the kids as Matt and Mary have spent almost a month away getting the care he needs. They have really appreciated all of this assistance. For those who are not local and want to help in some way, we are seeking financial assistance to help cover some of the many unexpected expenses this life changing accident has brought with it. In order for Matt to be able to live independently as a paraplegic, a bathroom renovation needs to be completed in their home. Other financial concerns include adaptive equipment to help with everyday living as a paraplegic, medical expenses, and other home modifications to make formerly simple tasks accessible in their new world. We understand that not everyone may be in a position to contribute financially. Your support can also come in many forms—sharing this message, or simply keeping Matt and his family in your thoughts and prayers. Every bit of support helps.

Thank You

Matt’s response from the first minutes of this new challenge has been “God is Good and if this is what he wants from me then it is Good”. Matt and Mary and family are ready to embrace this new challenge in their lives and are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of community support they have already received; it truly means the world to them. Your prayers, shares, and any contributions will make a significant difference in Matt’s journey toward recovery and independence. Together, we can help him regain his strength and continue to find hope and gratitude in the days ahead.

With heartfelt thanks,

Katie Post