Rebuilding Life After Gun Violence And a Spinal Cord Injury Help HOPE Live for Michael Walthall

Rebuilding Life After a Spinal Cord Injury

Michael Walthall was living an active and independent life before a spinal cord injury changed everything. Since becoming paralyzed and relying on a wheelchair, daily life has become filled with physical, emotional, and financial challenges that most people never have to imagine.

• Navigating surviving gun violence

• Disability Advocacy

• Peer Support/Community Organizing

• Adaptive Athletics

• Gun Violence Initiatives

Despite these hardships, Michael has remained determined to rebuild his life, regain independence, and continue pushing forward with strength and resilience.

Living With the Challenges of Paralysis

Living with a spinal cord injury affects every part of life — mobility, transportation, health care, housing, rehabilitation, and even simple everyday routines.

Michael continues to face ongoing medical complications and barriers related to paralysis, including the need for:

• Accessible housing accommodations

• Specialized medical equipment

• Ongoing rehabilitation and therapy

• Wheelchair-accessible transportation

• Adaptive technology and home modifications

• Uninsured medical and daily living expenses

Many of these critical needs are not fully covered by insurance or assistance programs.

Fighting for Independence and a Better Future

Michael is not giving up on his future.

He is actively working toward rebuilding independence, continuing his education, advocating for accessibility, and creating opportunities to help others facing similar challenges. Michael hopes to pursue a career helping communities impacted by trauma and violence, building programs that support those living with disabilities while also embarking other entrepreneurial enterprises.

Even through difficult circumstances, Michael continues to inspire others through perseverance, leadership, and determination.

Why Fundraising Support Is Needed

The financial burden of living with paralysis is overwhelming.

Costs associated with spinal cord injuries can include:

• Wheelchairs and adaptive equipment

• Medical supplies

• Physical rehabilitation

• Transportation modifications

• Accessible housing expenses

• In-home care assistance

• Technology and accessibility tools

• Uncovered medical costs

These expenses add up quickly and create significant financial stress for Michael and his support system.

Funds raised through Help Hope Live’s North-Central Catastrophic Injury Fund will help relieve some of these burdens and provide support for medically necessary expenses related to Michael’s recovery and independence.

How You Can Help

Your support can make a real difference in Michael’s life.

Every donation — no matter the size — helps provide resources that support independence, accessibility, rehabilitation, and quality of life.

Please consider donating, sharing Michael’s campaign, and helping spread awareness.

Together, we can help Michael continue moving forward with hope, dignity, and opportunity.

How Michael Can Help You

Michael provides comprehensive support tailored to the unique needs of a person with disability, adaptive athletes, and survivor of gun violence. Whether you are newly injured or have been living with injuries for years.

Michael’s Community Impact and Services

• Peer Support and Mentoring

• Independent Living Skills and Advocacy

• Information and Referral

• Public Speaking

Michaels Corporate Impact and Services

• Logo Placement

• Sponsor Recognition

• Social Media Tags

• Event mentions

• Appreciation graphics

Michael’s Introduction

My name is Michael Walthall and I am currently 37 years old. On March 3rd, 2016 my life changed and I was the victim of a violent gun violence crime.

I was in my car waiting for the traffic light to turn green when a car with unknown individuals drove next to me and began to shoot at my car. There was no motivation or provocation; just a random senseless act. I drove off to avoid being killed and in the process I drove down a ditch. I ran out the car and collapsed. When I was taken to hospital I was informed that I had been shot multiple times and sustained injuries to my lungs. Worst of all the T4 and T5 vertebrae of my spine had been damaged leaving me paralyzed.

Here is the news story detailing more about what I survived: https://abc7chicago.com/morgan-park-shooting-chicago-115th-and-ashland-driver-shot/1229067/

I was at my junior year of undergrad at DeVry University with a Business Administration major and I had just obtained a job with United Airlines when I was shot. My life was coming together and then this senseless act put everything to a halt. This changed not just my life, but the life of my family and friends. My family has sacrificed a lot to help me deal with the physical, emotional and psychological trauma.

Post injury, I decided to return to school to complete my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and am officially an alumni of DeVry University as of August 4th, 2019.

The Chicago area has a long history of adaptive sports achievements, including multiple Paralympic Athletes, National Collegiate Champions, and National Wheelchair Basketball and National Wheelchair Softball Champions. Today, wheelchair basketball and softball teams continue to compete at a national level and provide athletes a strong and meaningful community. However, too often adaptive sports athletes and their teams do not have the resources to continue training and participate in tournament year round. Michael Walthall believes that his current uninsured medical fees and financial barriers should not stand in the way of an wheelchair athlete being able to compete and be a part of the adaptive sports community. Adaptive athletes face unique challenges, especially in Chicago. Nearly 80% of the athletes have an injury defined with paralysis and the majority of the athletes spinal cord injuries on the adult team are due to gun violence in Chicago. Michael is dealing with trauma and the majority are socio-economically disadvantaged. This means fees for wheelchair equipment, and other related equipment maintenance ,fees to wheelchair sporting events, travel fees, local practices/tournaments and out of town tournament fees all can be barriers to participating each year.

Help Hope Live helps Michael Walthall raise funds for:

• Rehabilitation, Physical Therapy, Adaptive Sports/ Fitness

• Home Health Care

• Home and Vehicle Modifications

• Medically Necessary Vehicle With Handicap Modifications

• Medical Equipment including wheelchairs and Accessories

• Medical Supplies Including catheters

• Experimental Therapies

• Assistive Technology

• Exoskeleton Legs for Paraplegic

• Transportation (Local and Long Distance) and more.

Family and friends of Michael Walthall are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with Catastrophic Injury.

Michael has chosen to fundraise for Help Hope Live in part because Help Hope Live assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility for contributors. Contributors can be sure donations will be used to pay or reimburse medical and related expenses. To make a tax-deductible donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the Give button.

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

Thank you for your support!