Help Needed Save A Family Pets Life
Donation protected
My name is Valerie Schneider and it is with heavy heart that I am here. So please, bare with me when writing this, I'm an emotional mess and not sure if I can convey my message to you all clearly but I will try my best. This request is not for me, nor my benefit but for help for my 3 children's father Matthew Jarvis and the ability to give him a proper funeral and a proper goodbye.
On January 17th, 2017 Matthew was in a horrible car accident that changed his life forever. He hit a sheet of black ice on highway 5 in B.C. and lost control went over a 30 foot embankment, down a 90 foot drop and was thrown from the vehicle 145 feet into a set of trees, falling down in between and landing unconscious in the snow, an accident that left him in a coma and diagnosed a paraplegic with a frontal lobe brain injury. We were told he would not make it, however he did and proved everyone wrong. After months of being in the hospital, Matthew was admitted into G.F. Strong Rehab Centre for Disability... he had to adjust to his new life in a wheelchair.
After his release, not shortly after... on November 25th, 2017 he got a bladder infection which is a common occurrence with anyone with a permanent indwelling catheter, the infection turned into sepsis, his entire body had just shut down, his organs and his kidneys had failed and his heart stopped and was in a coma and again, we were told he was not going to make it, by miracle he did. To top off Matthew's year, on December 5th, 2017... Matthew was in his motorized wheelchair going through a crosswalk on his daily outing in which he enjoyed so much... he got hit by a car by a lady who was looking the other way when approaching the crosswalk... he too survived that accident. Matthew's motorized wheelchair was the only source of freedom we could give him. This was a man who was full of life before these accidents, he was a K9 security officer and played soccer for over 30 years... a loving father and friend to so many. He has gone through the last year enduring nothing but absolute turmoil and unbelievably bad luck, life changing pain and heartache of losing his legs and struggling to live a normal life.
Supporting his freedom to go for his daily strolls in his motorized chair was something we couldn't stop him from doing or take away from him always praying nothing else would happen to him and a few days ago on Saturday, May 26th of 2018 the worst thing imaginable happened that took him from us forever. Matthew was on one of his regular outings in his motorized chair coming home from 7-11 to get a slush... our house is only 4 blocks away from train tracks that run right through the city, there is no way around it and he would have to cross it to come home which he did on many occasions.
On this day he crossed those same tracks only this time his small wheels on the front of his chair got stuck on the track in holes missing in the track crossing. Soon the crossing lit up and the crossbars came down and he still could not move, he was stuck, frozen, scared and alone. Two courageous females jumped out of their vehicles and came up to the track to see him struggling and rocking his chair back and forth to get his wheels unstuck. They continued to help him right up until his last moments, they could not get him free and had to jump out of the way at the last minute to save their own lives, and I will be forever grateful that Matthew was at least not alone in his last moments. This man didn't deserve any of these things that happened to him and the last year has proven to me that tomorrow is not promised to anyone and I am reaching out because if anyone deserves to be able to finally be at peace and put to rest properly it is this man, and I am asking for help and compassion for the cost of a funeral to do that for him and for his children, and his family and friends to grieve him and put him to rest to be at peace.
I pray that no one else has to ever go through this to understand what a life changing experience this could be or watch a loved one go through such senseless tragedy that could of been prevented with better safety in place for train track crossings in rural areas. It is my mission that Matthew's death will stand for something... better safety and accessibility on railway crossings, not just for those with disabilities... and for people to be able to see people on railway crossings way in advance, giving conductors more time and chance to stop. No family will have to go through this again... bless you all that took the time to read this and are willing to help this cause whether it be to donate or share Matthew's story and misfortune.
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/nobody-should-die-like-this-family-mourns-chilliwack-father-whose-wheelchair-got-stuck-in-train-tracks-1.3947731
https://www.cloverdalereporter.com/news/b-c-woman-who-tried-to-save-man-stuck-on-rail-tracks-called-a-hero/
Much love and respect.
Valerie Schneider ❤
On January 17th, 2017 Matthew was in a horrible car accident that changed his life forever. He hit a sheet of black ice on highway 5 in B.C. and lost control went over a 30 foot embankment, down a 90 foot drop and was thrown from the vehicle 145 feet into a set of trees, falling down in between and landing unconscious in the snow, an accident that left him in a coma and diagnosed a paraplegic with a frontal lobe brain injury. We were told he would not make it, however he did and proved everyone wrong. After months of being in the hospital, Matthew was admitted into G.F. Strong Rehab Centre for Disability... he had to adjust to his new life in a wheelchair.
After his release, not shortly after... on November 25th, 2017 he got a bladder infection which is a common occurrence with anyone with a permanent indwelling catheter, the infection turned into sepsis, his entire body had just shut down, his organs and his kidneys had failed and his heart stopped and was in a coma and again, we were told he was not going to make it, by miracle he did. To top off Matthew's year, on December 5th, 2017... Matthew was in his motorized wheelchair going through a crosswalk on his daily outing in which he enjoyed so much... he got hit by a car by a lady who was looking the other way when approaching the crosswalk... he too survived that accident. Matthew's motorized wheelchair was the only source of freedom we could give him. This was a man who was full of life before these accidents, he was a K9 security officer and played soccer for over 30 years... a loving father and friend to so many. He has gone through the last year enduring nothing but absolute turmoil and unbelievably bad luck, life changing pain and heartache of losing his legs and struggling to live a normal life.
Supporting his freedom to go for his daily strolls in his motorized chair was something we couldn't stop him from doing or take away from him always praying nothing else would happen to him and a few days ago on Saturday, May 26th of 2018 the worst thing imaginable happened that took him from us forever. Matthew was on one of his regular outings in his motorized chair coming home from 7-11 to get a slush... our house is only 4 blocks away from train tracks that run right through the city, there is no way around it and he would have to cross it to come home which he did on many occasions.
On this day he crossed those same tracks only this time his small wheels on the front of his chair got stuck on the track in holes missing in the track crossing. Soon the crossing lit up and the crossbars came down and he still could not move, he was stuck, frozen, scared and alone. Two courageous females jumped out of their vehicles and came up to the track to see him struggling and rocking his chair back and forth to get his wheels unstuck. They continued to help him right up until his last moments, they could not get him free and had to jump out of the way at the last minute to save their own lives, and I will be forever grateful that Matthew was at least not alone in his last moments. This man didn't deserve any of these things that happened to him and the last year has proven to me that tomorrow is not promised to anyone and I am reaching out because if anyone deserves to be able to finally be at peace and put to rest properly it is this man, and I am asking for help and compassion for the cost of a funeral to do that for him and for his children, and his family and friends to grieve him and put him to rest to be at peace.
I pray that no one else has to ever go through this to understand what a life changing experience this could be or watch a loved one go through such senseless tragedy that could of been prevented with better safety in place for train track crossings in rural areas. It is my mission that Matthew's death will stand for something... better safety and accessibility on railway crossings, not just for those with disabilities... and for people to be able to see people on railway crossings way in advance, giving conductors more time and chance to stop. No family will have to go through this again... bless you all that took the time to read this and are willing to help this cause whether it be to donate or share Matthew's story and misfortune.
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/nobody-should-die-like-this-family-mourns-chilliwack-father-whose-wheelchair-got-stuck-in-train-tracks-1.3947731
https://www.cloverdalereporter.com/news/b-c-woman-who-tried-to-save-man-stuck-on-rail-tracks-called-a-hero/
Much love and respect.
Valerie Schneider ❤
Organizer
Valerie Schneider
Organizer
Abbotsford, BC
