Jonathan's Project Walk
Donation protected
Many of you know that Jonathan has been through an awful lot this last 16 months. His life and his family's were turned upside down when he was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis (TM) on July 29th, 2019. After being rushed to the hospital on July 26th with what he thought was a heart attack, he was soon paralyzed while in the ER. His paralysis crept up to mid chest level and despite being in the hospital for 5 weeks, the doctors could not find a cause for the TM. His wife Jennifer, son Jared, 15, and daughter Evan, 13, have all been greatly affected by this tragic situation. The family was devastated while they hoped and prayed for doctors to find a cause and more importantly, a cure. After 5 weeks with no answers, the doctors believed it was time to start intense, inpatient rehab and he went there for 6 weeks before finally going home in October.
Before his paralysis, Jon was an avid bike cyclist. He biked in the Bancroft 65+ mile race in 2015. He trained for the MS Ride (80+ miles) three times! The first year, it was cancelled due to Hurricane Joaquin. He participated in the 2nd ride in 2016 and two weeks before the 2017 race, he flipped over his handlebars and broke his elbow in 8 places. After 4 surgeries to fix the elbow, his wife told him to find another sport! He continued to golf up until a month before his paralysis.
Jon has been teaching for the past 25 years at RCBC. A Professor of English Literature and Holocaust Studies, he founded the Center for Social Justice at RCBC 18 years ago and wrote the curriculum for all Holocaust and Genocide studies at the college. He's won professor of the year twice as well as the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching Excellence. He's taken more than forty field trips to the Holocaust museum with his students and touched countless lives. Jon returned to online teaching in January of 2020, despite breaking his shoulder the month before while adjusting to life in a wheelchair. This passionate teacher even continued his teaching while being diagnosed with Covid in April 2020!
Although Jon has been in months of physical therapy, he has completed his insurance approved PT goals to acclimate to life in a wheelchair by strengthening his arms and core and was recently discharged. Jen has researched how to get Jon the best help he can and stumbled across Project Walk, conveniently located right in their town. The goal of Project Walk is to increase the quality of life for those suffering from paralysis through intense activity-based recovery programs, education and training. What Jen and Jon both love about Project Walk is that all of the exercises are completed outside of the wheelchair. Unfortunately, insurance does not cover the weekly sessions and will cost Jon and Jen approximately $13,000 for 1 year. Because research indicates the importance of keeping up with programs like this one for paraplegics, Jen and Jon hope to continue this program for years into the future. Currently, they are living in a house that is NOT handicap accessible. With a twin size hospital bed, they’ve made a makeshift bedroom for Jon in what used to be the family room, while Jen sleeps upstairs alone in their bed. He also has no access to any bathroom in the home. How much do you enjoy your hot shower? Jen has hooked a shower head up to the end of a hose from the kitchen sink run to their back patio so he can shower in a one man tent. With the cold weather coming, this will no longer be an option so it's back to bed baths.
Jen is working full time as a School Psychologist while trying to care for Jon as well as get their house ready to sell. They need a one story home that will then need to be modified for Jon's accessibility. Jon obtained his new license to drive with his hands just last week so they are now saving for a handicap van that he can drive himself to work in. Expenses are piling up and it's time that we, as their friends and family, step up to show our love and support! Please consider helping the family with these expenses and give Jon hope of more movement and independence.
Before his paralysis, Jon was an avid bike cyclist. He biked in the Bancroft 65+ mile race in 2015. He trained for the MS Ride (80+ miles) three times! The first year, it was cancelled due to Hurricane Joaquin. He participated in the 2nd ride in 2016 and two weeks before the 2017 race, he flipped over his handlebars and broke his elbow in 8 places. After 4 surgeries to fix the elbow, his wife told him to find another sport! He continued to golf up until a month before his paralysis.
Jon has been teaching for the past 25 years at RCBC. A Professor of English Literature and Holocaust Studies, he founded the Center for Social Justice at RCBC 18 years ago and wrote the curriculum for all Holocaust and Genocide studies at the college. He's won professor of the year twice as well as the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching Excellence. He's taken more than forty field trips to the Holocaust museum with his students and touched countless lives. Jon returned to online teaching in January of 2020, despite breaking his shoulder the month before while adjusting to life in a wheelchair. This passionate teacher even continued his teaching while being diagnosed with Covid in April 2020!
Although Jon has been in months of physical therapy, he has completed his insurance approved PT goals to acclimate to life in a wheelchair by strengthening his arms and core and was recently discharged. Jen has researched how to get Jon the best help he can and stumbled across Project Walk, conveniently located right in their town. The goal of Project Walk is to increase the quality of life for those suffering from paralysis through intense activity-based recovery programs, education and training. What Jen and Jon both love about Project Walk is that all of the exercises are completed outside of the wheelchair. Unfortunately, insurance does not cover the weekly sessions and will cost Jon and Jen approximately $13,000 for 1 year. Because research indicates the importance of keeping up with programs like this one for paraplegics, Jen and Jon hope to continue this program for years into the future. Currently, they are living in a house that is NOT handicap accessible. With a twin size hospital bed, they’ve made a makeshift bedroom for Jon in what used to be the family room, while Jen sleeps upstairs alone in their bed. He also has no access to any bathroom in the home. How much do you enjoy your hot shower? Jen has hooked a shower head up to the end of a hose from the kitchen sink run to their back patio so he can shower in a one man tent. With the cold weather coming, this will no longer be an option so it's back to bed baths.
Jen is working full time as a School Psychologist while trying to care for Jon as well as get their house ready to sell. They need a one story home that will then need to be modified for Jon's accessibility. Jon obtained his new license to drive with his hands just last week so they are now saving for a handicap van that he can drive himself to work in. Expenses are piling up and it's time that we, as their friends and family, step up to show our love and support! Please consider helping the family with these expenses and give Jon hope of more movement and independence.Organizer and beneficiary
Nicole Deeney Bintliff
Organizer
Mantua, NJ
Jennifer Alexander
Beneficiary