Get The Man A Van!
Donation protected
It was the last day of Kurt's sophomore year of high school, when he dove off a diving board into a swimming pool, and hit his head which fractured his spinal cord. The accident left him paralyzed from the neck down with an official C5 Quadriplegic diagnosis of his spinal cord injury. Eventually, with the support of his family and community of friends, Kurt was able to adapt to his new circumstances and went to The Ohio State University after graduating from Colerain High School in 1990.
Fast forward to January of 2011. Kurt attended the grand opening of a friends business and on the way home, was struck head on by a drunk driver. Fortunately, he survived the accident with broken legs and other non life threatening injuries, but his reliable van was totaled. Those "non life threatening injuries" which included rods and plates to keep his legs in tact, did not heal as they should have and Kurt has never felt the same since. Insurance replaced his van with a van that wasn't properly sealed when his specific modifications were made, and have left his current 2011 Honda Odyssey in disrepair. The chassis is rusted and the suspension issues along with the liability associated with fixing an accessible van of this age, prevent dealership and independent mechanics to make the necessary repairs.
To add to this burden, Kurt had his right leg amputated on July 24th, 2019, since wounds sustained from the 2011 accident have never healed properly. Please join us as we come together to help lift a burden from Kurt’s shoulders. Kurt's a loving and involved single dad, to three beautiful kids; Emma, Jackson, and Cece, and he makes them his first priority which includes attending every single game or event his kids participate in. In fact, during recovery of his amputation, he made it known that he wouldn't miss his sons game happening just two days later. His commitment to be present and continue enjoying life with as much mobility as possible, will be super challenging and next to impossible if he doesn't replace his current van with a safe and reliable van. The hand controls he needs installed in order to drive, cannot be installed unless the van is new. More info can be found at www.getthemanavan.com
Fast forward to January of 2011. Kurt attended the grand opening of a friends business and on the way home, was struck head on by a drunk driver. Fortunately, he survived the accident with broken legs and other non life threatening injuries, but his reliable van was totaled. Those "non life threatening injuries" which included rods and plates to keep his legs in tact, did not heal as they should have and Kurt has never felt the same since. Insurance replaced his van with a van that wasn't properly sealed when his specific modifications were made, and have left his current 2011 Honda Odyssey in disrepair. The chassis is rusted and the suspension issues along with the liability associated with fixing an accessible van of this age, prevent dealership and independent mechanics to make the necessary repairs.
To add to this burden, Kurt had his right leg amputated on July 24th, 2019, since wounds sustained from the 2011 accident have never healed properly. Please join us as we come together to help lift a burden from Kurt’s shoulders. Kurt's a loving and involved single dad, to three beautiful kids; Emma, Jackson, and Cece, and he makes them his first priority which includes attending every single game or event his kids participate in. In fact, during recovery of his amputation, he made it known that he wouldn't miss his sons game happening just two days later. His commitment to be present and continue enjoying life with as much mobility as possible, will be super challenging and next to impossible if he doesn't replace his current van with a safe and reliable van. The hand controls he needs installed in order to drive, cannot be installed unless the van is new. More info can be found at www.getthemanavan.com
Fundraising team (6)
Billy Spaeth
Organizer
Harrison, IN
Kurt Kuwatch
Beneficiary
Billy Spaeth
Team member
Bryan Jostworth
Team member
John Greve
Team member
Kristin Thomas
Team member
