Our Mission

Our mission is to provide educational and financial support for distressed adolescents at risk for suicide and families affected by successful or unsuccessful attempts.

 

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.