Support Dad's Recovery from Spinal Injury

On Monday afternoon, my dad set out for his usual afternoon bike ride and before we knew it, our life would be forever changed. While taking a shortcut, he cut through a patch of grass between two parking lots and hit a hidden culvert and crashed his bike. Upon impact, my dad found himself face down in sandy dirt, his bike on top of him, unable to move his body, and his cries for help drowned out by the noise of nearby passing traffic.

He stayed in this position for two hours until a gentleman driving by, who was truly the right person in the right place at the right time, spotted him and jumped into action. He was transported to McLaren ED where he underwent X-ray, CT, and MRI. Upon arriving at the ED, my brother and I discovered my dad had no mobility in his trunk or extremities. We were told he had a partial C3 spinal cord injury and the outcome was uncertain. The neurosurgeon team was prompt and communicative, and the nurses were warm and hopeful.

This morning, the neurosurgeon team assessed my dad’s condition and made the decision that surgery was the only route to decrease the chances of lifelong paralysis due to the compression of his spinal cord. He underwent a 5-hour surgery that resulted in the fusion of C3, C4, and C5, and the placement of screws and a plate. In true fashion, my dad was stoic, hopeful, cracking jokes, and already talking about riding his bike and being on the sailboat this summer. He woke up from surgery in good spirits and already giving the nurses a hard time. We hope his mobility in his limbs and trunk returns, as he remains mostly paralyzed from the neck down with the ability to wiggle his toes, feet, and slight movement of his right arm.

It’s difficult to put into words the gratitude I feel for all of the individuals who have been involved in the last 24 hours - from Officer Shultz of Petoskey Police Department, to Kristie Fritz, NP, Dr. Seledotis, all the nurses and doctors on staff, and to the gentleman that found him - simply saying thank you does not feel like enough.

My dad is my rock and ALWAYS shows up for us, and it is now time to show up for him. He has a long road of recovery ahead of him, one that remains mostly uncertain as we anxiously wait for the swelling of his spinal cord to decrease. For now, he is being cared for by the amazing staff of McLaren ICU. Any support, whether it be financial, words of strength and hope, or a joke to make my dad laugh, will not go unnoticed.

All proceeds will go toward medical bills, rehabilitation, and living expenses such as rent and utilities.

I will provide updates to those that reach out, as well as on the GoFundMe page.

venmo: noel-fleming