As most of you know our dear friend Ron Riecken lived a very active and productive life prior to his tragic, fluke accident on August 31, 2013. Ron, a husband and father of two teenage daughters was participating in a relay type race involving an inflatable slide and obstacle course. The slide failed and Ron instantly became a level C4-C5 quadriplegic. After ten days in ICU, where he had to be on a ventilator to survive, Ron was transferred to California Pacific Medical Center for rehabilitation. It was quickly apparent that the goal of “rehabilitation” was to learn how to live with this condition and little more. Unwilling to settle for this, Ron was able to wean himself from the ventilator, was started on a bladder and bowel program and learned how to drive a wheelchair with a “head array” system for steering and controls. The Rieckens’ home was modified and a special van was purchased. In October, Ron returned home.

Ron maintains a positive attitude and is determined to regain use of his arms and legs. He has already made some progress with arm control. Unfortunately, specialized rehabilitation and equipment are not covered by insurance. Yet another uninsured expense is the home health care assistance that Ron requires for several hours a day.