Brett Swanlund

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.
On Tuesday afternoon, June 9th, Brett was out w/friends mountain biking in North Kingstown.  He was thrown over the handle bars and even with head protection inflicted severe trauma to his vertebral column and consequently his spinal cord. He broke his neck in 6 places. He has had one surgery that night and another one Thursday, June 11th. He is experiencing a lack of feeling in his legs.
The orthopedic surgeons realigned the spinal dislocation at C6 - C7 and securely fused it to several adjacent vertebrae. Thursday morning they went back in to pin C1 together which is the vertebrae that your skull sits on. He will probably be in or around the TCU       (Trauma Care Unit) for the next several weeks when we should know the future. Your hopes, wishes and prayers are graciously accepted. 

On June 25th Brett was transferred to Spaulding Rehab in Boston where he will be until the end of August undergoing medical treatment, OT, PT, daily living strategies. He will be in a wheelchair due to lower body paralysis with an uncertain future in terms of regaining the use of his legs. He has limited movement of his upper body.
 
We are all focused on getting good information, sending thoughts and prayers and healing energy to Brett and family.
 
We will post updates on Caring Bridge. Please send your support, comments, questions and messages to this site.