Racing Accident

[kev_alaska]

Just got an e-mail from some of our contacts with the racing group. Looks like Robert Graeber (Team Polaris and HP Alaska) was in a serious accident yesterday back east. Not a lot of details, looks like he got landed squarely on by another machine. More details should be coming shortly.

www.robertgraeberracing.com

Kevin

 

[supercoolguy]

talked to a guy today that knows the family, I guess he was in surgery for 12 hours today but no word on a prognosis. Our prayers are with him!

 

[Clayton]

Best wishes Kris & Robert. Hope everything heals up.

 

[rmanzek]

best of wishes, i heard its looking pretty bad, but lets hope for the best, strong kid, hopefully he fights through it. -Rmanzek

 

[jim graeber]

robert

To All, 3-12-08



I just talked to Jim Graeber and he said that Robert is awake!!!! YEA He wants his snowmachine, he says he needs to go race!!!! He moved his left knee is all I know so far. Chris is trying to rest right now she is pretty exhausted.

Robert is off the respirator and breathing on his own, talking up a storm. He has 2 plates in his neck, vertebrae have been fused in his lower back with pins for support, the stint in his aorta is working great and he should see no adverse effects from it. He will have surgery in the next couple of days to change the “sponge” on his back, he will have to go through this process 2-3 times before they can begin doing skin grafts. Time is still needed to know for sure the extent of the injuries to his spinal cord, it was NOT severed but did get damaged.

The Robert Graeber Recovery Fund has been set up with Wells Fargo, PLEASE GO TO THE BRANCH CLOSEST TO YOU AND MAKE A DONATION! the account number #5282538577 and the routing number is 125200057. Please spread the word on this so we can get some $$$ raised to help Chris, Jim and Robert. John Woodbury, Coast Magazine, is going to put the bank account # for Wells Fargo in the April issue. And Tom Whitstine is working on getting a Pay Pal Account set up so people will be able to contribute via the internet world wide. Please pass this number on until we get it on the website, Thank You.


ARL, motocross, and AMMC are going to try to get a spaghetti feed and silent auction together soon. I will post the info as soon as I have it. If any other organizations would like to help with this just let me know. Roxann 345-2336 or 242-7830

For those of you who know Patti Balzarini ,FreeStyle Photo, she is donating all proceeds from picture sales in the month of March to the Graeber family. AMMC has a link to her website on our page.

Keep sending lots of prayers for the family.



Thank You

 

[akpowderhound]

Sorry jim, robert is strong I am sure he will pull through this just fine. Tom gave me some info for those of you intrested in sending some support through paypal. His email address is
racerx84@mtaonline.net

We must help support our local racers!

 

[Bandit907]

Best wishes, hope he gets better.

 

[jim graeber]

I just got out of surgery @ 7:30 pm eastern time Tuesday. It was a huge success. The rocking Plastic Surgeun Dr Loftus was able to close up my back. He pulled the skin together that was about 4-5" apart and stitcher up. Don't ask me how he did it but its done. That should be the last surgery. So No skin grafts. The doctors are amazed at how I'm healing up. It was definetly better then the first prognossis a week ago on Monday. I asked my surgeons if I could have the pictures of the hardware they put in my back and they said they even had some of the first night that I was in trauma when they first saw me. I can't wait to see how bad it really was.

I have been working on getting my legs stronger. My P.T. comes in everyday and my mom & I work them 3 times a day. My left upper leg is strong I can do knee bends and my mom was scratching the bottom of my left foot last night and it tickled for the first time. They say thats a sign that the nerves might be coming back down there. In my right leg I'm able to flex the quad muscle (thigh) and it is getting stronger everyday. I will be able to go down to the P.T. gym on Thursday and really start working on the legs and getting those toes a moving.

I wanted to thanks everyone again for the out pouring of support for me. They tell me they are doing fund raiser up in Alaska. Howie Theise with the Arcitc Man is working on something for the Arctic Man weekend and Roxanne Boylan & Kent Harrington are also working on an auction. My paypal account & Wells Fargo account are getting donations. The Blanchards of Rival Motorcross Park have donated $10 of each T-shirt sales and have listed them on Craigs List. Amanda P & Chris Ackerman of www.139designs.com and many others at RMR raised a bunch of money for my doctor bills this last weekend at the race @ Barton. It means a lot to me & my family for everything. My insurance only cover 80% and it will really help my mom & dad out.

I hope to be going to a spinal cord rehab over in Albany next week sometime. They tell me there is no way I can fly commercial so I will do most of my rehab down here close to my friends at SouthSide.

Well thats it for now.

Thanks Again for everything that you are all doing it means alot to me & my family.

Check out my websites for updates www.robertgraeberracing.com or myspace.com/graeber84

Account @ Wells Fargo - Robert Graeber Recovery Fund
Account @ Paypal - racerx84@mtaonline.net

Later
Robert Graeber # 84

 

[IQRIDR]

Great to hear he is going a lil better. I donated, I know how much medical bills are nowadays from first hand experience. Good luck to Robert and his family.