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“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Christopher Reeve
Matt Loewenstein Sr. is a regular guy. Since he and his son both work together, he is simply known as ‘Senior’. Senior has a regular life, goes to work, pays his bills, loves his wife of nearly 53 years, loves his two children and adores his four granddaughters that refer to him as Pop Pop. We hope he can be a regular guy again one day. Here is Seniors story:
His Illness started around September 2020. He had some lower body symptoms and back pain. The pain progressively became worse over the next several months so that by Thanksgiving is was becoming almost unbearable. All the while, his doctors had few if any answers for him despite numerous tests to try to determine the cause of his pain & symptoms.
Despite all of this, Matt Sr continued to work and provide for his family; as he has always done. During the second week of December 2020, Matt Sr began to have problems with this gate and was noticeably walking more slowly. Then, on Wednesday, December 16, he became unable to walk. We brought him to a new neurologist in Morgan Hill, who immediately told him to go to Good Samaritan Hospital. There they performed more tests and he was finally diagnosed with spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas; where an artery and a vein grow together, enlarge and both put pressure on the spin & cut off blood circulation to that area. Doctors are unclear why this happened at this point.
Sr had 2 extensive and invasive surgeries on his spine over the next few days, which apparently fixed the fistulas. However, the damage was done. He had lost his ability to walk & many lower body functions. While he began to have some feeling in his legs after the surgery, he still could not walk or really move that much. When he started his recovery, he began to make some progress and was released to go home. However, he developed a severe infection from his rehabilitation center and was admitted back to the hospital with a life-threatening infection just 3 days later. While the infection is still lingering, it appears that his infection is improving and is at a new rehabilitation center beginning his recovery again.
This situation has resulted in enormous medical bills for Matt & Elaine and more are piling up every day. While they do have insurance, it only covers a portion of the costs. The part they will be responsible for, may be more than $100,000; all while Matt Sr is unable to work as the primary income earner for his family.
Senior joined the Sheet Metal Workers’ Local No. 104 in 1974. Today, being an HVAC Project Manager, it’s more about his brains than his brawn. Being in the trades changes a person’s lifestyle, knowing, if one goes skiing over the weekend and breaks their leg, they may not work for the next month. Senior could not have defended his body for what he is going through now, he didn’t participate in a stunt, he was participating in everyday life.
HELP PAY IT FORWARD. THANK YOU FOR READING
Matt Loewenstein Sr. is a regular guy. Since he and his son both work together, he is simply known as ‘Senior’. Senior has a regular life, goes to work, pays his bills, loves his wife of nearly 53 years, loves his two children and adores his four granddaughters that refer to him as Pop Pop. We hope he can be a regular guy again one day. Here is Seniors story:
His Illness started around September 2020. He had some lower body symptoms and back pain. The pain progressively became worse over the next several months so that by Thanksgiving is was becoming almost unbearable. All the while, his doctors had few if any answers for him despite numerous tests to try to determine the cause of his pain & symptoms.Despite all of this, Matt Sr continued to work and provide for his family; as he has always done. During the second week of December 2020, Matt Sr began to have problems with this gate and was noticeably walking more slowly. Then, on Wednesday, December 16, he became unable to walk. We brought him to a new neurologist in Morgan Hill, who immediately told him to go to Good Samaritan Hospital. There they performed more tests and he was finally diagnosed with spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas; where an artery and a vein grow together, enlarge and both put pressure on the spin & cut off blood circulation to that area. Doctors are unclear why this happened at this point.
Sr had 2 extensive and invasive surgeries on his spine over the next few days, which apparently fixed the fistulas. However, the damage was done. He had lost his ability to walk & many lower body functions. While he began to have some feeling in his legs after the surgery, he still could not walk or really move that much. When he started his recovery, he began to make some progress and was released to go home. However, he developed a severe infection from his rehabilitation center and was admitted back to the hospital with a life-threatening infection just 3 days later. While the infection is still lingering, it appears that his infection is improving and is at a new rehabilitation center beginning his recovery again.
This situation has resulted in enormous medical bills for Matt & Elaine and more are piling up every day. While they do have insurance, it only covers a portion of the costs. The part they will be responsible for, may be more than $100,000; all while Matt Sr is unable to work as the primary income earner for his family.
Senior joined the Sheet Metal Workers’ Local No. 104 in 1974. Today, being an HVAC Project Manager, it’s more about his brains than his brawn. Being in the trades changes a person’s lifestyle, knowing, if one goes skiing over the weekend and breaks their leg, they may not work for the next month. Senior could not have defended his body for what he is going through now, he didn’t participate in a stunt, he was participating in everyday life.
HELP PAY IT FORWARD. THANK YOU FOR READING
Organizer and beneficiary
Dave Ferguson
Organizer
San Jose, CA
Elaine Loewenstein
Beneficiary