Care For Keith

Further to the story I ran last week about friend & MINI sales advisor Keith Polischuk …
A web site has been set up by his family / friends: CareForKeith:

A Life Changed in an Instant
In an instant, the world changed for Keith Polischuk and his family. On the evening of June 12, 2005, Keith suffered a serious spinal cord injury after suffering a shattered cervical vertebrae – the result of a tragic diving accident. In that brief moment, Keith’s life was transformed and he awoke to a long and difficult road to recovery.
After surgery to stabilize his fractured vertebrae, Keith remains hospitalized at Beth Israel in Boston, MA, with little or no movement in his arms and legs. His spinal cord has endured a tremendous trauma with contusions and compression that have resulted in temporary or permanent paraylsis. At best, Keith faces a long and difficult journey to regain his mobility

I am very sad to read this, as there are suggestions now that recovery might at best be partial for Keith … in the weeks ahead I hope to organize a fund raising event with MINI owners that know Keith. In the meantime I can only continue to focus my thoughts on best wishes for him.

UPDATE:
Thank you Martin for inviting me – I visited MINI Peabody this morning and met Keiths brother, Ken. He came to the dealership to talk with all Keiths colleagues.

Ken described the accident (June 12) as a shallow dive into shallow water, Keith hitting a sand bar.
Keith completely shattered vertebra “C5”, and put a hairline fracture in “C7”. While the “C7” damage is negligible, smashing “C5” has put tremendous stress on Keiths spinal cord – it was not cut but is severly contused.

On Sunday evening / early Monday, Keith was conscious and able to move his arms.
Sadly pneumonia set in and he has been in a forced coma since then. A tracheotomy was needed to assist with his breathing – this means that the few times when sedation has been reduced, Keith was unable to speak even while he was able to move his arms and respond to his family.

Two surgeries have been performed to stabilise Keiths neck – one from the front & one from the rear. Basically his “C4” and “C6” vertebra have been wired together to stabilise his spine around the smashed “C5”; this in itself will limit Keiths neck movement in the future.

Currently Keith remains at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, with sedation likely for at least another week until his lungs recover sufficiently to allow him to breath un-assisted.

His medical insurer is objecting to plans to transfer Keith to the Shepherd Center, instead preferring to keep his treatment in Massachusetts – presumably cost issues are behind that preference.
Keiths doctors and of course his family wish for him to be transferred to what is recognized as the best spinal rehab in the country – an important motivation is the expertise at the Shepherd Center in assisting patients to regain their life, including the very important ability (for Keith) to enable him to continue to drive!