Jason Schoenhofer’s Neurotrauma Recovery Fund

On Tuesday, April 9th at approximately 6:30 pm (MST) our good friend and family member Jason Schoenhofer was involved in an accident while riding his motorcycle, during which he was struck by an oncoming vehicle making an illegal lefthand turn across his lane. Though he was wearing a helmet, Jason was immediately transported to a medical center in Mesa, Arizona, and is currently staying within their neuro-trauma ICU. Because of the nature of the accident and his injuries, he was placed under heavy sedation to allow his body to be at total rest, in order for the brain swelling to lessen and have the best possible outcome. He has not been conscious since the accident, and because of the sedation process, he is on a ventilator and has a feeding tube, to prevent his body from doing any additional work as the swelling goes down. According to the medical providers, the first three days post-accident are the most critical, and the team hopes to begin to lessen some of the sedative on Friday evening to help him begin to ease back into consciousness. In addition to the traumatic brain injury that has occurred, he will require surgery for a shattered shoulder as he regains consciousness and continued care for fractured ribs and other, more minor, injuries. New information is being provided throughout each day, and we are optimistic that the incremental progress that is occurring is a great sign for his recovery, though we also know that he still has a challenging road ahead of him. He has had a very proactive care team, and his parents and brother arrived in Arizona today, so there are many things to be hopeful about, but we also know that there is need for help.

When an injury like this occurs, so many considerations come into account, regarding hospital care, emergency and intensive medical treatment, recovery-related costs, medications, loss of work and wages, travel and accommodations for family support, and so many unexpected expenses that seemingly follow, frequently adding more burden to an already stressful situation. The purpose of this campaign is to help Jason and his family with these expenses.

As some might know, Jason made the move from Kansas to Phoenix a couple years ago to live, work, and finish his bachelor's degree at Arizona State University, which will be completed in 2020. I’m incredibly proud of the tenacity that he has shown by continuing to work towards this goal and achievement for himself. It hasn’t been particularly easy, though, as an uninsured undergraduate student, who is also type 1 diabetic and only able to work part-time. Daily medical costs can already be overwhelming, so emergency care and medical trauma is going to compound this already challenging area of his life. I believe that this is where others can step in to help.

In addition to his parents, brother, cousin, and close family friend local to him in Mesa, he has a sister-in-law, niece, nephew, and friends and family in St. Paul and Lawrence who are sending encouragement and praying for him from his home state of Kansas. Let’s really show him how loved and supported he is by helping him through this period of recovery and healing. He’s most certainly the type of guy you’d buy a coffee or beer during a time of celebration, so we’re hoping that you’ll consider contributing $5, $10, $25, or whatever you can to assist as he fights this battle.

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration on this campaign, and we will continue to keep you updated as Jason continues to progress in the coming days.