Funds Raised for Student After Serious KY Accident

 January 14th, 2010


For the last 50 days, Mike Jarvis has been in hospitals and rehabilitation centers fighting paralysis.


He’s had visitors, lots of visitors, some who have driven to Lexington, Ky., and to Columbus to visit multiple times in one week.

“It definitely helps an incredible amount,” said Jarvis, a second-year student in the College of Business. “It’s helped me get through this and, you know, made it that much easier. Seeing my friends pretty much daily keeps my spirits up.”



Jarvis was hospitalized Nov. 20 after being involved in a serious car accident in Rockcastle County, Ky. He and four other members of Pi Kappa Alpha were headed to a brotherhood retreat when Ryan Atkins, also a second-year student, lost control of the southbound SUV. The vehicle flipped several times and crossed into northbound traffic.



The five men were rushed to the University of Kentucky Medical Center. Mark Wood, Pike president, canceled the retreat when he heard about the accident. Jon Doerger, Kyle Quinn and Dan Rehard, who were all in the SUV, have been released and are back on campus attending classes.



Atkins, who is paralyzed from the neck down, was transported from the Medical Center in late November to a therapy center where he’s been recovering. Before winter break, he said he felt bed sheets between his legs and, several days ago, Atkins was taken off a ventilator and is breathing on his own, Wood said.



Jarvis was moved from the Medical Center to the Dodd Medical Facility in Columbus where he’s been receiving physical therapy. Although Jarvis was once only able to communicate only with his eyes, he’s now talking and can lift his arms above his head. He has no mobility in his wrists or hands; he is paralyzed from mid-chest down, Wood said.



Because of insurance limitations, Jarvis is leaving inpatient treatment Tuesday,

Jan. 19. He’ll return to his parents’ and will continue outpatient therapy three days per week. To make the transition back home, Jarvis’s parents are putting an addition on to the back of their home and making additional modifications to their two-story house.



The family planned to utilize public handicap transportation, an hour and a half commute, until they heard about efforts being made to raise money for special handicap van. Kyle Neyer, a second-year marketing student, who is also Jarvis’s roommate, created a Facebook group “Handicap van for the Jarvis family,” to spread word of the cause and to ask for donations.



The van will cost $35,000. In five days, Neyer has raised approximately $20,000. Of that money, he said $5,000 has been from UC students and their parents. Any extra money they are able to raise will be used to help pay for home renovations and medical bills.



“I’ve had tons of people contacting me,” Neyer said. “It’s great to see how far it’s reached.”



The original deadline to collect donations was Thursday, Jan. 14, but Neyer said now there isn’t a deadline, although they hope to have all of the money raised by the time Jarvis leaves the rehabilitation center.


“The van is kind of a necessity to be able to get around from place to place,” Jarvis said. “It’s going to help out an amazing amount.”


The entire Jarvis family is thankful for the work Neyer has done.

“It’s a little overwhelming,” said Bob Jarvis, Mike’s father. “Thank you just doesn’t seem enough. Most people have never been in a situation like this. The amount of support we’re seeing and receiving, and in some cases you don’t even know the people. It’s heartwarming … I’m just speechless. We’ll forever be in everybody’s debt.”



Story brought to you by www.newsrecord.org