Carl W Schwartz

Spokane, WA

Northwest Catastrophic Injury Fund

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2 Radnor Corporate Center
Suite 100
100 Matsonford Road
Radnor, PA 19087

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Dear Friends and Family,

As you know, Carl Schwartz has been an exceptional athlete and fitness enthusiast his entire life, running competitively through college and then recreationally well past retirement. He has completed numerous marathons, hiked the trails of the Pacific Northwest, walked every square inch of West Seattle, and still found time to weight lift in his garage. His latest passion though was cycling. He regularly went on long distance training rides, cycled on his stationary bike, and threw in a century ride (100 miles) every couple of weeks just for fun. His dedication to exercise was unmatched. Unfortunately, his running, hiking and cycling days have come to a devastating end.

Carl was involved in a life-changing accident on March 13, 2017, while riding his bike on a path in Seattle. He suffered a C2A spinal cord injury leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. He is confined to a wheelchair and relies on a respirator to assist his breathing through a tracheostomy. With the help of extensive training, he learned to speak and eat some foods. After spending three months at Harborview Medical Center, both in ICU and Rehab, Carl was discharged on June 14. Just as she did while Carl was an avid athlete, his wife Sherry has been by his side every minute of this heart-breaking ordeal.

What we are learning from this experience is Carl’s quadriplegia has dictated major adjustments to every aspect of the couple’s life. Early on they determined their house in West Seattle would not accommodate his disability and decided to relocate to Spokane, WA. Their new home will require the installation of a vertical lift and accompanying non-electric wheelchair, as well as a long list of specialized equipment, including a patient lift, custom bed, electric wheelchair, and a mobility-assist van that serve in his daily routine. He presently requires assistance beyond what Sherry can provide, such as transfers from bed to chair, grooming and bathroom care, feeding, and continual monitoring of his breathing. Soon he will be involved in regular rehabilitation sessions.

While Carl and Sherry planned well for retirement, there was simply no way to predict the deep impact on their finances this accident would have. His annual care will be very expensive due to the level of attention he needs and the dependency on the respirator. Our family is reaching out for your help. A donation in any amount is greatly appreciated and will be put directly toward Carl’s current and future medical expenses.

Thank you and God bless,

The Schwartz Family
Todd, Daniel, ReNae, and Rachael

We have chosen to fundraise with Help Hope Live in part because Help Hope Live assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility to the full extent allowed by law for donors. Donors can be sure that funds donated will be used only to pay or reimburse medically-related expenses. To make a tax-deductible donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the Donate Now button.

For more information, please contact Help Hope Live at 800.642.8399.

Thank you for your support!

January 28, 2022

Carl has traveled a very long and difficult road, but his desire to improve his mobility is unstoppable. It takes many years for nerves to recover, but his hard work is helping to make some improvements. This past Fall his diagnosis was upgraded to ASIA C-incomplete. His goal now is to gain enough consistent movement in one of his fingers so he can drive his chair. This would enable him to stop using a chin drive to move his chair. We are working on ways to enable him to do that. We are very blessed to have a wonderful, supportive family, dear friends and God's love and help that enables us to face each day. We are so grateful to everyone who has contributed to this site. Thank you, Thank you.

December 13, 2017

Truly exciting news! Carl's trach/passy muir valve has been permanently removed. He is breathing completely on his own. This is no small feat as his original team of doctors told him this would most likely never happen. Way to go Carl!

November 21, 2017

November 20, 2017

As we near Thanksgiving, we would like to thank God for all of the hidden blessings we have received this year. It has been a rough one, but the love of family, friends, and even strangers is unbelievably powerful. On November 3, Carl and Sherry bravely drove to Portland, OR to watch their grandson Luke's last high school football game. It was going to be a complicated journey, made even more so by the fact the game was an hour outside of Portland on a wet, cold night. With the help of the away team's amazing Athletic Director and Assistant, Carl and Sherry were allowed to drive their van onto the track and watch from literally right underneath the field goals posts. It was a very special night for all of us (picture in the gallery). We hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving.

November 20, 2017

October 26, 2017

Huge progress this past month. Carl is off the feeding tube, gaining some weight back, and has returned to his workouts with full force. Additional strides forward include three times a week on the stim cycle, a promotion to a Passy-Muir valve- rather than full ventilator with tube, and 10 minutes in a standing frame! He exceeded expectations, which is no surprise to us, but filled both Carl and Sherry with joy. We are so proud of them!

November 20, 2017

September 13, 2017

Carl is back home after spending ten nights in the hospital with pneumonia. Despite some setbacks (weigh loss, muscle loss, and returning to the feeding tube), Carl and Sherry are in good spirits. During a visit to their house, the family was told to wait in the livingroom while Carl and Sherry disappeared into their bedroom. Moments later, they appeared with Carl wearing his new Rastafarian hat and dreadlocks (think Bob Marley)! Always the joker, Carl's smile was priceless (picture is in the gallery). We are excited for the next step in rehab - an electrical stimulation bike that will provide workouts to keep him strong and bring back some muscle memory. Today marks six months since the accident. The learning curve has been steep, but we are constantly amazed with Carl and Sherry - they are so impressive as a team.

November 20, 2017

August, 14, 2017

Carl and Sherry continue to make progress. Both are becoming stronger physically and emotionally each day. The intentional movement on Carl's right side is about two weeks ahead of his left side, which he likes to joke about. Sherry is doing an amazing job as wife, caretaker, and advocate. We are also so grateful for the special people who come to the house to help them each day and that Carl will be celebrating another birthday on the 28th!

July 24, 2017

Carl has made incredible progress after just a few short weeks of in-home rehab. He has some controlled movement in his right hand and is able to repeatedly lift his right leg on command. His doctors have updated his prognosis from Complete to Incomplete and are hopeful Carl is on his way to walking again! Carl and Sherry are such hard workers and true believers in the rehab program. Your support provides them with the time and resources needed to focus 100% on his recovery.