Help Marcin March Again
Donation protected
Marcin was my very best buddy in high school and the greatest friend I ever had. He is very athletic and has two passions in life: motorcycles and the military. He was born with a love of the military, and as a young boy he would dress like a soldier and practice marching. There seemed to be something he loved about the discipline and practice needed to walk in cadence and keep in step. Naturally, as soon as he was old enough, he joined the Polish Army, and on one of his assignments served alongside American troops as a part of the NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He completed his military service, thankfully without injury, but then ironically encountered his most life-threatening experience after to the streets of Poland.
BACKSTORY
On October 17th 2018, he was riding to work on his very favorite motorcycle Honda Africa Twin, when suddenly, he was struck by a car driven by a driver who was texting while driving. Marcin’s life was instantly and drastically changed forever: his left leg was severed just below the hip. The way Marcin describes his reaction at the immediate scene of the accident gives us some insight into his spirit and passion for life. As he recently told it to me, “You know, I never lost consciousness, I was awake all the time until the surgery, and when I was laying down on the street, waiting for an ambulance, I thought: ‘Screw the leg, I already know it’s gone, but I am not going to die here on this stupid asphalt, because I want to be alive, so much to be alive! I have still so many things to do and to see, and I am still alive! I nailed it!’”
COST
Marcin needs a prosthetic leg. No big deal, you say; people get artificial legs every day. But the reality of medical treatment is very different in Poland than it is in the US. Health care in Poland is largely socialized, and everyone is covered…to some extent. The cost of a basic, non-electronic artificial leg in Poland is $30,000, of which Polish medical insurance will cover only about $3,000. And the process can take a long time.
WHY IS SO IMPORTANT
For the five months prior to losing his leg, Marcin had been preparing to return to active duty in the Army. He had gone through the intensive training, and just before the accident, he had passed his final exams. He was so excited! He said at the time that maybe he didn’t look like Tom Cruise in Top Gun, but his physical condition was like that of a 20-year-old. A few weeks after the accident, staring at the empty space formerly occupied by his leg, he received a phone call instructing him to report for active duty in January.
PLEASE HELP MARCIN! An active, vibrant, good person has been robbed of a normal life. Even the best artificial leg is not going to make him whole, but self-pity is not in his nature: he will pull himself up by his single bootstrap and continue to be the best person and contributing member of society that he can be. His story can be an inspiration for us, but it should also be a wakeup call for those of us who are addicted to our cell phones. When you get into the car, put your cell phone away. No text is as important as a leg, let alone a human life.
Marcin has always tried to be a self-sufficient person. He is not aware of my fundraising effort, and I am sure that if he knew I was doing this, he would probably try to talk me out of it. But my feeling is that when one commits to a friendship, one must be a friend for life, and friends always help friends in need. What a wonderful Christmas it would be if we could all get together and surprise Marcin with the gift of a leg. If you can donate, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you cannot, please help me get the word out by sharing the link on your social media so others can read the story and learn from it. If we can convince even one person to avoid texting while driving, the world will be a safer, better place.
Thank you.
Kasia and Friends
BACKSTORY
On October 17th 2018, he was riding to work on his very favorite motorcycle Honda Africa Twin, when suddenly, he was struck by a car driven by a driver who was texting while driving. Marcin’s life was instantly and drastically changed forever: his left leg was severed just below the hip. The way Marcin describes his reaction at the immediate scene of the accident gives us some insight into his spirit and passion for life. As he recently told it to me, “You know, I never lost consciousness, I was awake all the time until the surgery, and when I was laying down on the street, waiting for an ambulance, I thought: ‘Screw the leg, I already know it’s gone, but I am not going to die here on this stupid asphalt, because I want to be alive, so much to be alive! I have still so many things to do and to see, and I am still alive! I nailed it!’”
COST
Marcin needs a prosthetic leg. No big deal, you say; people get artificial legs every day. But the reality of medical treatment is very different in Poland than it is in the US. Health care in Poland is largely socialized, and everyone is covered…to some extent. The cost of a basic, non-electronic artificial leg in Poland is $30,000, of which Polish medical insurance will cover only about $3,000. And the process can take a long time.
WHY IS SO IMPORTANT
For the five months prior to losing his leg, Marcin had been preparing to return to active duty in the Army. He had gone through the intensive training, and just before the accident, he had passed his final exams. He was so excited! He said at the time that maybe he didn’t look like Tom Cruise in Top Gun, but his physical condition was like that of a 20-year-old. A few weeks after the accident, staring at the empty space formerly occupied by his leg, he received a phone call instructing him to report for active duty in January.
PLEASE HELP MARCIN! An active, vibrant, good person has been robbed of a normal life. Even the best artificial leg is not going to make him whole, but self-pity is not in his nature: he will pull himself up by his single bootstrap and continue to be the best person and contributing member of society that he can be. His story can be an inspiration for us, but it should also be a wakeup call for those of us who are addicted to our cell phones. When you get into the car, put your cell phone away. No text is as important as a leg, let alone a human life.
Marcin has always tried to be a self-sufficient person. He is not aware of my fundraising effort, and I am sure that if he knew I was doing this, he would probably try to talk me out of it. But my feeling is that when one commits to a friendship, one must be a friend for life, and friends always help friends in need. What a wonderful Christmas it would be if we could all get together and surprise Marcin with the gift of a leg. If you can donate, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you cannot, please help me get the word out by sharing the link on your social media so others can read the story and learn from it. If we can convince even one person to avoid texting while driving, the world will be a safer, better place.
Thank you.
Kasia and Friends
Organizer
Kasia Bochenek
Organizer
Leesburg, VA
