A Gift That Keeps On Giving

“I REFLECTED A LOT ON THE IDEA THAT I HAD NO CONTROL OVER MY CIRCUMSTANCES, AND I KEPT THINKING TO MYSELF, ‘I AM SO INCREDIBLY LUCKY TO BE ALIVE . . . WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH THIS SECOND CHANCE I’VE BEEN GIVEN?’”

- Robert Altmanshofer

Robert Altmanshofer, right, with past scholarship recipients IT WAS SPRING 2011, and Robert Altmanshofer was a young, healthy and fit 23-year-old.

He rigorously trained up to six days per week, fueled by a whole-foods diet, in preparation for his first physique competition.

One day, Altmanshofer’s world turned upside down when he suddenly felt excruciating pain in his upper abdomen unlike he had ever experienced.

“It may sound like an exaggeration, and I’ve never been stabbed, but I felt like there was a knife in my stomach,” says Altmanshofer. “I got home, went straight into bed and laid in the fetal position, writhing in pain until about 3 a.m. Then, as quickly as it came on, it was gone.”

This debilitating and unpredictable pain soon increased in frequency to almost every other day, with symptoms lasting for up to 36 hours at its worst in fall 2011.

Doctors were dumbfounded, with some even doubting Altmanshofer’s condition, until an acute abdominal X-ray series uncovered a massive bowel obstruction that required emergency surgery.

Before he knew it, a portion of his intestine, which was also found to contain benign congenital tumors, was removed.

If another 24–48 hours had passed, the doctor said, Altmanshofer would’ve most likely died from sepsis. Meanwhile, another abdominal CT scan revealed two large abscesses in his abdomen.

“During my time in the hospital, I had a lot of time to think,” says Altmanshofer, who was in the midst of a painful divorce and had also lost his home at the time. “I reflected a lot on the idea that I had no control over my circumstances, and I kept thinking to myself, ‘I am so incredibly lucky to be alive . . . What am I going to do with this second chance I’ve been given?’”

Realizing how an X-ray and two incredible doctors had saved his life, Altmanshofer was inspired to enroll at Yavapai College, where he received a series of scholarships, including a full-ride to pursue a career in radiology as a first-generation college graduate.

A bright and ambitious student, Altmanshofer approached the Yavapai College Foundation with the idea to establish a scholarship to pay his good fortune forward.

“I wanted to give back by helping a hard-working student, and not just one time,” says Altmanshofer. “I wanted to continue to give back year after year. As I became more successful, I wanted to share that success by following the example of the generous donors who made my scholarships possible.”

Altmanshofer first contributed his own money bit by bit until launching a crowd-funding campaign in 2020. In just six days, the $3,000 goal was met; and, within 30 days, $6,200 was raised, ultimately benefiting two Yavapai College radiology students that same year.

Overwhelmed by the community’s outpouring of generosity, Altmanshofer raised the bar higher by creating The Robert Altmanshofer and David Moore Radiologic Technology Endowment Scholarship. The initial fundraising goal of $30,000 was shattered by 93 donors who contributed $48,000 over 12 weeks.

“When I first started the scholarship, it was my goal to be able to pay for one student’s entire tuition for the program, which is around $15,000,” says Altmanshofer. “Now that I’ve started an endowment, my goal is to be able to do this every year. This will require around $350,000 to be in the endowment, meaning I have another $300,000 to raise in order to accomplish this.”

Now 35 years old, Altmanshofer has been a lead surgical radiologic technologist, and, most recently, a sales associate at the medical devices company NuVasive.

“One of the best parts about my job is that I get to frequently work with my hero, Dr. Walters, the man who saved my life,” says Altmanshofer. “It is possible to make a difference in this world and change people’s lives through kindness and generosity . . . It becomes a domino effect, and you never know how far your kindness will go.”

Donations to The Robert Altmanshofer and David Moore Radiologic Technology Endowment Scholarship can be made by scanning the QR code or visiting www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ycrad techendowment2022

Yavapai College radiologic technology students that maintain a 3.5 GPA are welcome to apply for the scholarship at www.yc.edu. •