Help Nathan Wolski Walk Again!
Donation protected
On Friday, June 26, Nathan Wolski (age 19) was in a terrible accident. His family was camping at San Elijo State Beach in San Diego, CA. He and his cousins had gone down to a place where the water flows off from the ocean into a little river that goes under a bridge to the bayside. They were all going to go in the water, but Nate's foot slipped, he ended up going in headfirst and must have hit his head on a sand dune. He was bobbing face down in the water and the current had taken him further down and his cousins couldn't get to him. They all screamed for help and a woman (an angel who happened to be a nurse!) pulled him out and Marco (cousin) was able to hold him until the paramedics arrived. Devan (friend) had called 911 and ran to look for a lifeguard, and Sofia (cousin) ran down to find the parents to show us where they were. At this point, Nate could not move his body at all and had no feeling from the neck down.
By the time the ambulance arrived, he could move his arms and shoulders a little, but could not feel anything from the chest down. They raced him off to Scripps La Jolla and it was quickly determined that he had crushed the C5 bone in his neck. Thank God he did not sever his spinal cord but he was still experiencing a large degree of paralysis in his body.
He had a 6-hour surgery on Saturday, June 27 to clean out the shattered bone and fuse the neck. The doctor said that the injury was much worse than they had thought and described it as "horrendous." He didn't know how it was possible that more damage had not been done to the spinal cord. He tore the surrounding ligaments in his neck as well as shattering C5. But they were able to successfully complete the surgery!
There have been both negative and positive developments over the past few days. Nate’s left lung collapsed at one point, requiring him to be put on a ventilator. He had to have a tracheotomy placed for his own safety and comfort. He was fighting high fevers and low blood pressure. But he fought his way back to breathing on his own, having the tracheotomy reduced in size, being able to speak again with a special valve, and finally eating on his own and having his feeding tube removed! He has been diagnosed as incomplete quadriplegia ASIA B. The good news is that he has experienced some feeling and movement in his arms and legs. He is much weaker on his right side and has very little ability to control his fine motor skills in his hands.
The doctors and nurses have all described Nate as very special— a "very chill guy," and have been impressed with his determination, focus, intelligence, and attitude. He is 19 years old and is a Computer Science/ Engineering major at Cal State Long Beach and was looking forward to starting his sophomore year. All his dreams are on hold right now as he fights to regain what was suddenly taken from him in a moment’s freak accident.
The road ahead to recovery will be a long one. Doctors are unsure about how much movement, feeling, and function he'll be able to recover. But he's young and strong and he has an army of support around him. Right now, the focus is on getting him to the very best Spinal Rehabilitation Hospital, giving Nate the best chance of complete recovery.
The family is very stressed about so many things right now and I’m hoping that money will not have to be one of them. If your beautiful child went through this, would you want money to stand in the way of them getting the very best care in the world?
The family has Kaiser insurance and so far, they are not willing to pay for either of the 2 places that the hospital has recommended, instead recommending sub-standard care in a general rehab facility (does not specialize in spinal rehab) that does not include an adequate number of OT/PT hours per day (2 hours vs. 9 hours), only a 2-week program (vs. 9 weeks), and a no-visitors policy (vs. the family being included in the rehabilitation process). The family is fighting Kaiser and will get legal representation if necessary. I will keep you updated here as to how everything is going.
These are some of the monetary costs that are hanging over the family right now:
Transport to Spinal Rehab: up to $30,000
Spinal Rehabilitation Hospital: up to $350,000
Living Expenses near Rehab for Family: Cost Unknown
Doctor-Recommended Home Modifications: Cost Unknown
Follow-Up Rehab, Therapy, and Equipment: Cost Unknown
Gretchen taking 6-12 months off work: The family is hoping that sick days will be donated to ease the financial burden of a pay-cut (she is the school nurse at Etiwanda H.S. in Rancho Cucamonga)
Thank you so much for your support and your prayers. The family has been lifted up by the amazing outpouring of love they have felt during this time. If you find it in your heart to help—no amount is too small—you will be helping Nathan walk again!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart,
Amy Malerba (Gretchen’s sister/Nate’s aunt)
By the time the ambulance arrived, he could move his arms and shoulders a little, but could not feel anything from the chest down. They raced him off to Scripps La Jolla and it was quickly determined that he had crushed the C5 bone in his neck. Thank God he did not sever his spinal cord but he was still experiencing a large degree of paralysis in his body.
He had a 6-hour surgery on Saturday, June 27 to clean out the shattered bone and fuse the neck. The doctor said that the injury was much worse than they had thought and described it as "horrendous." He didn't know how it was possible that more damage had not been done to the spinal cord. He tore the surrounding ligaments in his neck as well as shattering C5. But they were able to successfully complete the surgery!
There have been both negative and positive developments over the past few days. Nate’s left lung collapsed at one point, requiring him to be put on a ventilator. He had to have a tracheotomy placed for his own safety and comfort. He was fighting high fevers and low blood pressure. But he fought his way back to breathing on his own, having the tracheotomy reduced in size, being able to speak again with a special valve, and finally eating on his own and having his feeding tube removed! He has been diagnosed as incomplete quadriplegia ASIA B. The good news is that he has experienced some feeling and movement in his arms and legs. He is much weaker on his right side and has very little ability to control his fine motor skills in his hands.
The doctors and nurses have all described Nate as very special— a "very chill guy," and have been impressed with his determination, focus, intelligence, and attitude. He is 19 years old and is a Computer Science/ Engineering major at Cal State Long Beach and was looking forward to starting his sophomore year. All his dreams are on hold right now as he fights to regain what was suddenly taken from him in a moment’s freak accident.
The road ahead to recovery will be a long one. Doctors are unsure about how much movement, feeling, and function he'll be able to recover. But he's young and strong and he has an army of support around him. Right now, the focus is on getting him to the very best Spinal Rehabilitation Hospital, giving Nate the best chance of complete recovery.
The family is very stressed about so many things right now and I’m hoping that money will not have to be one of them. If your beautiful child went through this, would you want money to stand in the way of them getting the very best care in the world?
The family has Kaiser insurance and so far, they are not willing to pay for either of the 2 places that the hospital has recommended, instead recommending sub-standard care in a general rehab facility (does not specialize in spinal rehab) that does not include an adequate number of OT/PT hours per day (2 hours vs. 9 hours), only a 2-week program (vs. 9 weeks), and a no-visitors policy (vs. the family being included in the rehabilitation process). The family is fighting Kaiser and will get legal representation if necessary. I will keep you updated here as to how everything is going.
These are some of the monetary costs that are hanging over the family right now:
Transport to Spinal Rehab: up to $30,000
Spinal Rehabilitation Hospital: up to $350,000
Living Expenses near Rehab for Family: Cost Unknown
Doctor-Recommended Home Modifications: Cost Unknown
Follow-Up Rehab, Therapy, and Equipment: Cost Unknown
Gretchen taking 6-12 months off work: The family is hoping that sick days will be donated to ease the financial burden of a pay-cut (she is the school nurse at Etiwanda H.S. in Rancho Cucamonga)
Thank you so much for your support and your prayers. The family has been lifted up by the amazing outpouring of love they have felt during this time. If you find it in your heart to help—no amount is too small—you will be helping Nathan walk again!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart,
Amy Malerba (Gretchen’s sister/Nate’s aunt)
Organizer and beneficiary
Amy Malerba
Organizer
Glendora, CA
Gretchen Wolski
Beneficiary