Charles Heidel

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Trauma. Close to home.

As Alice Heidel drove into her quiet neighborhood, on August 20, 2009, the swirling lights of emergency vehicles caused her to whisper a prayer for the hurt stranger. It’s who she is…it’s how she lives…

Little did she know, behind the flashing lights and hurried EMT’s was the mangled body of her dearly loved husband Chuck.

Chuck was returning home from his usual evening bike ride. Just two blocks from his home, an approaching car turned into Chuck’s path and violently struck and threw him from his bike.

Within moments of returning to the neighborhood, Alice received word that Chuck had been injured. The scene flashed back. The injured person she thought was a stranger was actually her husband, Chuck!

Chuck was conscious at the scene but had no feeling or movement below the neck. A helicopter was called, Chuck was rolled on a field toward the chopper. Alice arrived at the scene, and in movie-like slow motion began to run toward the stretcher. Several police tried to stop her. All she could say was – ”No. That’s my husband!’

It was soon determined that he had sustained severe injuries to the spinal column. Specifically, the thoracic 1 vertebra had been fractured and knocked from its place under cervical 7 and was bruising the spinal cord. After a successful surgery to fuse the C7 vertebral with the T1 vertebra, by installing titanium rods, Chuck was confirmed “profoundly paralyzed” from the mid-torso through his toes. It is highly likely that he will remain paralyzed his entire life. At present, his sensory and motor functions are limited to his upper body with limited use of his hands.

As you can imagine, the financial needs of the Heidel family are and will continue to be significant. Unfortunately, the driver who hit Chuck was significantly underinsured. So, while insurance, government aid and private institutions have off set much of the cost, there are major expenses that can only be covered with your generous assistance. We have a goal to raise $100,000 by Christmas to help Chuck and his family with these costs (for more information read on.)

You can learn more about spinal cord injuries and the projected, lifetime costs associated with them HERE.

Please click on the Contribute Now button to make an immediate online contribution by credit card or read below for instructions on mailing a contribution or for a list of Chuck’s friends you can call if you have any questions. Please use the E-mail to a Friend link above to spread the news.

More on Chuck Heidel (click on the red links for photos)

Whether on the field, in the boardroom, in the sanctuary, or at the kitchen table, Chuck Heidel has always been a commanding and beloved presence. Football players from Winston Churchill High School and from the University of Virginia Football Team knew him as a hard-working, devoted teammate who overcame many physical challenges and coped graciously with a career-ending knee injury. His Phi Delta Theta fraternity brothers knew his love and great sense of humor. Colleagues from every stage of his professional career, from Marriott Hotels and Sandy Cove Christian Ministries to Facilities Plus and Merrill Corporation, have known a confident, capable man who takes each task seriously, learns from mistakes with humility, and fosters good humor and gracious relationships in the office. His spiritual leadership has been a gift to every congregation and fellowship group of which he has been a part, including Fourth Presbyterian Church, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Christ Presbyterian Church in Elkton, MD and Christ Reformed Presbyterian Church in Laurel, MD.

Chuck is the beloved husband of Alice, his wife of 26 years. Their romance blossomed during their years at the University of Virginia and Randolph-Macon Women’s College, respectively. They are the proud parents of eight children. Emily (24) and Ginny (22) live in northern Virginia. Chip (21) and his wife Ellen live in Gaithersburg, MD. Allie (19), Caleb (17), Gifford (14), Gracie (13), and Calvin (10) live with Chuck and Alice in Laurel, MD. Family Photos.

After twelve days in the Intensive Care Unit at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore Chuck was flown to theShepherd Center in Atlanta, GA, where he participated in physical and occupational therapy, specifically tailored to spinal cord injury patients. Mercifully, he did not sustain any brain damage and has not lost his mental deftness or sense of humor. At present his fingers lack their normal dexterity but the rest of his upper body is steadily growing stronger. His therapy regimen focuses on building stamina, strength, and basic motor skills to allow him to be as self-sufficient as possible in the future. He is re-learning to shift his own body weight, move himself around on various surfaces and furnishings, handle small objects, feed and dress himself and get around in public places.

On Thanksgiving Day, 2009, Chuck returned home to a joyful reunion with his family and community in Laurel. Their family is adjusting to the new normal and getting set up with local doctors and rehabilitation resources.

Chuck’s limited range of abilities have cast a great deal of uncertainty over his and his family’s future life. Chuck’s doctors hold out hope that he may very well regain the dexterity necessary to type and write, but for now he must rely on others’ hands or on voice-activated computer programs. Spinal injury patients commonly experience very low body temperatures regardless of the surrounding climate, so Chuck’s living spaces will require additional heating. Major modifications must be made to his house, as he is currently wheelchair-bound; these will include installing an accessible shower, widening doorways, installing ramps, and adjusting work surface heights. Chuck hopes to have both a motorized and a manual wheelchair, and will also require a shower chair. The motorized wheelchair will require that the family also have a van accessorized to accommodate it. To assist with home modifications, the purchase of a van, wheelchairs and other equipment, ongoing therapy, travel cost for therapy and other such costs not covered by insurance, Chuck’s friends, colleagues and family hope to raise $100,000 by Christmas 2009 to bless Chuck and his family. By all estimates this is just the beginning of ongoing, significant costs that will result from Chuck’s accident.

Helping Chuck

Family and friends of Chuck Heidel are raising money to pay for uninsured medical expenses associated with catastrophic injury. The following individuals are leading this effort and would be happy to answer any questions at the numbers below:

Ken Newsome, UVA ’81, President, AMF Bakery 804-314-7592

Mark Fisher, President, Sandy Cove Ministries 443-907-2828

Steve Colton, Owner, Zerores of Atlanta, Churchill High School 678-642-1228
Brad Colton, Marriott Corporation, Churchill High School
Dr. Randy Case, Group Area Chair, The C12 Group, UVA ‘81
Lee Bunn, Land Acquisition Manager, Standard Pacific Homes, UVA ‘80 919-604-3932
Lee Williams, Ostenson Real Estate Group, UVA ‘83 678-614-8600
Bob Strickland, Director, National Accounts, Coca-Cola Enterprises, UVA ‘82 404-372-0825
Don Meeks, Senior Pastor, Greenwich Presbyterian Church, UVA ‘82
Jimmy Kemp, Churchhill High School, Kemp Partners
Rod Clark, President, Facilities Plus

Chuck has chosen to fundraise with HelpHOPELive Catastrophic Injury Fund in part because HelpHOPELive provides both tax-deductibility and fiscal accountability to contributors. Contributors can be sure that funds contributed will be used only to pay or reimburse medically-related expenses. For more information, please contact HelpHOPELive at 800-642-8399.

Thanks for your support!