Prior to August 2nd, 2015, Kurt Suppiger was a vigorous and active member of the close-knit Irvington, Indiana community, the Our Lady of Lourdes church and school, Cathedral High School, and the Community network of hospitals.  I think it’s fair to say that everyone that has met Kurt now loves, likes, or calls him a friend.  Kurt is a doting father of two, DIY enthusiast, and VW bus fanatic.

On August 2nd, the lives of Kurt, his wife Anita, their son Mercer, and daughter Joanna were changed forever by a careless driver.  Kurt was driving on a two-lane road in eastern Indiana when he was run off the road by a driver who crossed the centerline in his lane. He was forced off the road and swerved back on, causing his truck to slam into the embankment and then flip, crushing the cabin and resulting in instant paralysis. Time passed as Kurt mustered the strength to waive his arm out of the window, which caught the attention of a Good Samaritan who stayed with him while waiting on the police and lifeline from Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis to arrive. Once assessed, Anita was given the unimaginable news that his neck was broken and a portion of his spinal cord was crushed, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down with limited mobility in his arms and only grasping capability of his hands.  After surgery to stabilize his neck, and weeks in the hospital, he was sent to a rehab hospital for further recovery. Although his family and friends remain hopeful, Kurt has years of intense rehab ahead of him just to get back his independence. 

As if the trauma of the accident wasn’t bad enough, Anita has had to take a leave from work in order to be Kurt’s full-time caregiver.  Kurt requires assistance with the daily tasks that we all take for granted, such as combing his hair, shaving, brushing his teeth, and even turning over in bed.  He will likely require this type of assistance for the rest of his life.  Now, in order to keep their health insurance, Anita must to return to work and hire a caregiver.  The time off of work has left this family of four trying to make it on Kurt's disability payment alone.  As you can imagine, that amount is nowhere near what they need to cover monthly expenses, while also trying to get Kurt the medical care and equipment that he needs.  In addition, since adapting to their new life at home, Kurt has had to return to the hospital and rehab several more times due to serious life-threatening infections.  It has been common for him to be away from home for weeks at a time.  Few can truly understand the stress and strain that they are forced to cope with every single day.

Like so many other Americans, Kurt and Anita have led private lives, up to this point, and have been reluctant to accept financial assistance.  However, with so many people asking how they can help, Kurt and Anita have allowed their friends and family to ask for donations on their behalf.  These funds will be applied to the continual major expenses that insurance simply does not cover.

Below are just a few examples of the immediate needs that can be met with your generosity.

· The biggest immediate expense is the hiring of a full-time personal care assistant to allow Anita’s return to work and so that Kurt can continue to receive the daily care that he needs

·  Continued therapy at the Frazier Rehab Institute in Louisville, KY that is tailored for people with spinal cord injury (SCI)
     - Insurance only covers 60 rehab visits a year.  Until Kurt’s recent health setbacks, this rehab was the most significant factor in his recovery.  

·  Continued remodeling of their home and property to accommodate Kurt
    - Additional ramps at exterior doorways, improving the gravel driveway to make it passable in his chair, and eventually equipment to allow him to use the 2nd floor

· Life-sustaining funds to help cover a lifetime of the common complications related to his condition 

·  If you live in the Indianapolis area, you can also sign up to provide meals!  http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0549adaf28a46-meals

To help with all of these immediate needs, and more, the Suppiger family really needs our help to reach their goal!

Also, if you’d like to stay up to date with Kurt’s progress; please sign-up for the CaringBridge website https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kurtsuppiger

or the Support the Suppigers Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=support%20the%20suppigers
 
CaringBridge is completely free and you can sign-in with your Facebook or Google account. 

*Please keep in mind that donations made on the CaringBridge site support CaringBridge, not the Suppigers.*

The Suppigers would also like to extend a special thank you to all those people that have already and continue to donate time, money, meals, rides, and all the other little things that help to smooth the rough edges of this very difficult time.  The outpouring of love and support continues to reinforce their faith in God, community, and humanity.

Related Media

http://www.greensburgdailynews.com/news/local_news/driver-of-truck-suffers-head-and-neck-injuries-in-crash/article_c0556d56-e491-582e-9a12-f90bed5da564.html


NeuroHope

Time spent at the Frazier Rehab Institute had a huge impact on Kurt and Anita.  They quickly made new friends and heard stories of the profound difference that advanced therapy and training techniques can have for those with SCI and their families.  However, one significant hurdle is the 4 hour round-trip from Indianapolis to Louisville!  So, in order to help bring the same type of therapy to Indiana, Kurt and Anita are partnering with NeuroHope.  NeuroHope is a 501(c) 3 charitable organization located in the Fountain Square neighborhood of Indianapolis that caters to SCI, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and stroke patients.

http://www.neurohopewellness.org/

NeuroHope is also in need of help, so they can continue in their mission to make long-term access to cutting-edge rehabilitation in Indiana a reality, like PowerStep Training.  This therapy involves a body-weight support treadmill and assistance from trained specialists, providing repetitive sensory input normally associated with the motor task of walking.  This is exactly the type of therapy that Kurt really needs, but is not available in central Indiana.  The equipment required for this training system costs over $100,000.

To this end, Kurt and Anita have pledged to donate a portion of the proceeds received through the GoFundMe campaign to NeuroHope.  Together we can all make a difference to others in Indiana struggling with SCI! 

If you would like to make a separate donation directly to NeuroHope, please visit their website.

http://www.neurohopewellness.org/donate/