(Photo courtesy Moritz Family)
It’s been just over two weeks since a crash on SE Ladd Avenue sent Portland resident Karl Moritz to the hospital with multiple fractures and a serious brain injury. Days later he clung to life in a coma as his family tried to piece together what might have happened and realized that their lives would likely never be the same.
As I write this today, Karl remains comatose in the intensive care unit at OHSU hospital. Karl’s wife Staci says in recent days Karl has been opening his eyes and “apparently trying to focus,” but he’s still unable to follow commands. The Moritz family has been told by OHSU’s Chief of Trauma that if Karl doesn’t regain consciousness in the next 3-8 weeks “he probably never will”.
On a website set up to raise money for the family, Staci explains the extent of Karl’s injuries:
“… a traumatic brain injury, specifically, Diffuse Axonal Injury, and likely facing a persistent and possibly permanent vegetative state requiring a very high level of skilled nursing care.”
Staci Moritz is now struggling to make ends meet and continue to raise their three sons; Aidan (7), Elliot (4) and Ariel (2). Karl has health insurance through his employer, Nike, but it won’t cover the impending long-term care he’ll need. Staci was recently laid off from her job and is yet to find another.
Friends, supporters and neighbors have rallied around the Staci and her kids, to which she is very grateful; “Thank you everyone who has reached out to our family with kind words, well wishes and offers of tangible assistance. We need all of the above so very much in this time.”
You can learn more about Karl and the Moritz family at HelpForKarl.com. You can also donate via the PayPal button above or by clicking through to the website for information on a bank account fund that has been set up.