Steven Quigley Benefit
January 2, 2011 -
Update
A very big "Thank You" to all that have donated to help Steven Quigley cover
medical expenses. To date we have raised over $3,500 dolllars, and I assure you
that this has help out his family tremendously. Although this doesn't cover all
of his costs, together we have been able to offset around 75% of these expenses
to date. As the former home club for Steve, we felt it was appropriate for us to
spearhead this fundraiser, and we appreciate your donations on behalf of Steve,
who is thankful beyond words. Here is an update from Steve himself regarding his
recovery:
I went to the 3 month visit with the neuro surgeon and he gave me the okay to
go from the hard to soft collar, and since then I have graduated out of the
collars. My C-5 and C- 6 levels are 3-4mm out of place, but are stable. I still
have numbness in my right thumb, but my range of movement is slowly coming back
to normal. The 3 month angio CT scan revealed that my vertebral artery is still
not functioning. At this point, the vascular specialist believes there is little
indication that it will correct. I will be on the Coumadin for another 3 months
at which time we will rescan the artery. Regardless of the outcome, I will come
off of Coumadin and will be put on baby Aspirin for as long a time as needed
(possibly forever). - Steven Quioccurencesofgley
September 16, 2010
Stephen Quigley, whose passion for hurling helped build a club in Indianapolis and fill a need to manufacture hurleys in the United States (
www.americanhurling.com), suffered a career-ending injury to his spine at the 2010 North American Gaelic Athletic Association championships. Steve, his wife Cassie, and two sons, Seamus, 5, and Teague, 3, had just moved
and hope to establish hurling and Gaelic football clubs in their new town.
It was an awkward collision in the quarterfinals that resulted in Steve’s injury. Since the accident, Steve has been admitted to three hospitals; resulting in dozens of MRIs, CTs, X-rays, consultations, and nursing assistance. He fractured his C6 vertebrae and severed one of the two vertebral arteries which are part of the four arteries supplying blood to the brain. He is fortunate not to have suffered paralysis, but the injury is significant enough that any future contact to the area could severely further the injury, even after his recovery.
Steve has seen multiple neurologists and neurosurgeons; and spent a full week at Northwestern University where they administered heparin and warfarin, blood thinners, in order to help lessen the clot formed in the artery and allow blood flow to the brain. At a minimum, for the next 6 months Steve will be in a neck-brace and visiting physicians to monitor the flow of blood to the brain while continuing taking doses of warfarin. There is also a future possibility of surgery, which although is not necessary at this time, would result in many more tests and a roughly two week hospital stay of which he will be under stroke watch.
Although the Quigley’s have insurance, they will undoubtedly incur lofty medical expenses. On behalf of Steve and those who Steve has positively impacted in his years of hurling and NAGAA participation, I am asking for your help in offsetting these costs. You can click the donate button on this link for a PayPal donation or can write a check, whether personal or on behalf of your club, to “Indianapolis GAA”, making sure to specify "Quigley Benefit" in the memo section. If through the money we raise together, we exceed the medical billing for Steve’s injury, the Quigley’s have chosen The John Ritter Foundation (
http://johnritterfoundation.org) as the recipient of those additional funds. If you are unable to donate at this time, please keep Steven and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
Regards,
Brian Church
Chairman, Indianapolis CLG
Please send checks to:
Indianapolis GAA c/o Brian Church - Memo "Quigley Benefit"
14834 Jonathan Drive
Westfield, IN 46074