Dear Sir or Madam,
First, let me say thank you for taking the time to read about the
non-profit charity I have started in honor of our son who suffered
severe brain damage from an act of desperation. Our primary goals
are to help other youths who are at risk and family members like us
left to pick up the pieces of shattered lives.
Our fight began May 13, 2011 when our son Chase, then 19, had a
terrible fight with his girlfriend. They had been together for
almost 2 years and my son thought they were very much in love.
Before their fight, they talked about their future together and how
they would cope going to different colleges and still stay strong
with each other. These are normal things young people struggle with
every day. It was at that point our son was told that she was
already seeing another young man and Chase was devastated. He became
very despondent and wouldn’t talk about it with anyone, even his
best friends or sister, with whom he had a wonderful relationship.
On that fateful night, feeling hopeless, our son attempted to commit
suicide by hanging himself.
Had his then-girlfriend not called us 20 minutes later to tell us
they had a terrible fight, he would have succeeded. As it was, when
we found him he was flat lined and unresponsive. As I started to
administer CPR, his mother was standing in a state of shock. After
her initial shock wore off, she frantically called 911 for help as I
continued to administer CPR. After about 10 minutes of no success,
the police arrived and continued their efforts of revival until the
paramedics arrived. They rushed him to Gwinnett Medical Center, all
the time trying desperately to get a pulse and restart his heart.
You see, at this point his brain had already been without oxygen for
over 25 minutes and everyone feared he was brain dead. At the
hospital, after several more attempts at resuscitation, the hospital
staff was able to get a steady heartbeat, but by that time they
feared it was too late and that Chase had suffered irreversible
brain damage.
Our son remained in a deep coma for the next 10 days. At day 6, two
neurologists told us that our son was in a persistent vegetative
state and the potential for functional recovery non-existent. This
was devastating news. We had been told our son was essentially brain
dead and should unplug his life sustaining pumps and tubes. We
refused to do so and turned to our close friend Dr. Bedri Yusuf, who
was on staff at GMC, for help and guidance. Chase was transferred to
Kindred Health Care where he was brought out of his coma and then to
the Shepherd Center where he had to again learn how to walk, talk,
eat, and other activities of daily living. On August 6, 2011 Chase
was finally able to return home albeit with severe challenges yet to
overcome.
Here we are today, 5 years later. Our family has been forever
changed and we continue to struggle to find a new normal. Family
dynamics are strained due to the changes forced upon us. Until you
find yourself in this situation, you do not know what to expect or
where to turn. That brings us to our current goals. We want to turn
this tragic event into something positive. Suicide is the second
leading cause of death for teenagers. Only automobile accidents
result in more losses of life. There is a great need to provide
resources for both teens and their families; working to prevent
attempts and family assistance, when necessary. To meet these needs,
Chase Life Inc. has been created as a non-profit organization to
help educate and act as a conduit for information.
Thank you again for your time. Chase Life Inc. is a federally
qualified 501(c)(3) charitable entity. We hope you will consider
supporting Chase Life Inc. with a financial contribution. Donations
will be used to provide prevention-based education to youth
organizations and assist affected families facing financial
hardships. Please help us help other families in need.
Best regards,
Randy Gottlieb
President, Chase Life Inc.
If you have been impacted by suicide, please join with us in the long recovery process.
Learn what others have done in their recovery after a suicide event.
Work with us to help others. This is the most valuable contribution! Attend an event, help fundraise, etc.
Share your story with others. Sharing is learning, teaching, and healing.
You can make a monetary contribution through the link below.
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