Forever Home for Mike Schwarz
Donation protected
Hi, and welcome to my page! For those who don’t know me or my story, let me introduce myself. My name is Mike Schwarz and I am 35 years old. In my early 20’s I was living the dream. I was a student at University of Vermont, interning at Essa Socks Co. as a graphic designer, and snowboarding all over the country. That all changed in March 2009, when I sustained a traumatic brain injury at a snowboard competition. I was given a 20% chance of survival and my family was told to say their goodbyes. I was on life support for 3 weeks and in a coma. I was moved to a rehab facility in NH for a year. I continued to be in a coma for about 3 months. I had to learn how to do everything all over again, and I would not be here without the love and support of my family and friends.
My vision, balance, memory, speech, and motor functions continue to affect my daily life, and unfortunately, I am unable to live independently. I currently live with my parents and have a Life Skills Aide who works with me 5 days a week. With their support, and through speech, physical, pool, and cognitive therapies, I am able to complete the tasks of daily living and enjoy physical activities safely and semi-independently. My life has completely changed and I am unable to do many things I once loved, but I have found joy in sharing my story. Over these past 10 years
I have given presentations about the importance of helmets in Vermont schools. It gives me a sense of purpose and that my TBI was not in vain.
I want to continue to share my story, gain more independence, and ultimately live in my own home. Living with my parents has been awesome, but they are aging, and providing me with care is getting increasingly more difficult. I have to set a goal to purchase a home by the end of 2022, which would house me and my caregiver. It is very difficult for young people whom have sustained an injury such as a TBI to find adequate housing and care and I want this to be a home that will help others like me in future years. To find out more information, please visit
https://vimeo.com/295632831 presented by the High Fives Foundation.
My vision, balance, memory, speech, and motor functions continue to affect my daily life, and unfortunately, I am unable to live independently. I currently live with my parents and have a Life Skills Aide who works with me 5 days a week. With their support, and through speech, physical, pool, and cognitive therapies, I am able to complete the tasks of daily living and enjoy physical activities safely and semi-independently. My life has completely changed and I am unable to do many things I once loved, but I have found joy in sharing my story. Over these past 10 years
I have given presentations about the importance of helmets in Vermont schools. It gives me a sense of purpose and that my TBI was not in vain.
I want to continue to share my story, gain more independence, and ultimately live in my own home. Living with my parents has been awesome, but they are aging, and providing me with care is getting increasingly more difficult. I have to set a goal to purchase a home by the end of 2022, which would house me and my caregiver. It is very difficult for young people whom have sustained an injury such as a TBI to find adequate housing and care and I want this to be a home that will help others like me in future years. To find out more information, please visit
https://vimeo.com/295632831 presented by the High Fives Foundation.
Co-organizers (2)
Michael Schwarz
Organizer
Chester, VT
Nevin Driscoll
Co-organizer