Michelle Phaup and Lend a Helping Hand hosts a ‘Benefit for Brandon Schlick,? Friday, Feb. 20, 7 p.m., at Deer Lake Athletic Club.
On Sept. 28, 2008, Schlick got into a car accident just outside of Orlando, Fla., where he was living.
His best friend was driving and Brandon was thrown from the car and slid under a fence,? said Phaup. ‘He did have some brain trauma, but initially the doctors said that he looked normal and expected him to wake up pretty soon and everything would be fine. Of course as time went on and he didn’t wake up they realized that it was much more serious than they thought.?
After being flown back to Michigan to be closer to his family, Schlick started receiving hyperbaric oxygen treatments, which is a chamber or capsule in which a person sits or lays in and breathes 100 percent oxygen.
‘It’s an amazing medical device used in hospitals all over It was initially used for people with carbon monoxide poisoning and severe burns,? said Phaup. ‘It’s also been very successful in helping people after they’ve had a stroke because it gives them oxygen to the cells, particularly the brain cells.?
She said since receiving the treatments over the past two weeks there has been ‘noticeable progress? in Schlick, such as looking healthier, his skin coloring is improving, and he is responding more to people.
‘He has his eyes open more often. If you ask him to lift his left hand, he’ll lift his left hand or his right hand and so on,? she said. ‘He’s also starting to adjust his body to get more comfortable.?
However, medically, he is still considered to be in a coma.
‘From what I’ve been told, often people come back from a coma slowly. There is an actual scale called the Glascow Coma Scale where they rate the percentage or chances of a person in this state coming out of coma,? said Phaup. “Right now we are seeing the improvement on that scale.?
She noted 90 percent of the patients showing the same signs as Schlick do come out of the coma.
Schlick is currently receiving hyperbaric treatments five days a week, which is costing $775 without insurance. $600 of the $775 is for ambulance transportation from the nursing home he is staying in to the hospital.
‘Lend a Helping Hand is trying to do two things: raise money to help with the treatments, but we’re also trying to see if we can get discounts from an ambulance provider. Bob Cesario from the Independence Township Fire Department is helping me work on that,? said Phaup. ‘If he gets to the point where he no longer needs the ambulance to transport him, the price will come down quickly.?
Phaup said the reason insurance doesn’t cover the hyperbaric treatments is because it’s not considered ‘medical protocol, but more experimental.?
‘Another option we’re looking at is trying to find a medical hospital since they do have these hyperbaric oxygen chambers everywhere. We’re trying to find one (a hospital) where he can stay instead of the nursing home,? she said. ‘We haven’t yet found a hospital that can house him, but it would be nice to wheel him down the hall instead of transporting him by ambulance.?
The use of the banquet hall was donated by Deer Lake Athletic Club. The evening will include snacks and a volunteer concert by Anne and Will Rowland.
Also, local artist Judy Hoddinott, volunteered to donate a 16 by 20 pastel drawing and Jennifer Lund who sells Silpada Jewelry said any proceeds she makes that evening will be donated to help Schlick.
Tickets will be $20 in advance and $25 at the door, there will also be a cash bar.
‘We’re trying to keep the cost down really low and hope that we’ll get a good turnout from the community and people will have a fun night out,? saidPhaup.
For more information visit www.lendahelpinghand.org or call Michelle Phaup at 248-394-1415 or 248-431-6727.