Nonprofit Rallies to Support Spinal Cord Injury Survivors

By Rachel Perez

What began as a normal Saturday for the parents of then two-year old Reilly quickly became one that would change their lives in a way they had never expected. While they were shopping for a birthday present before going to a party, Reilly began to wiggle out of his dad’s arms during a toddler tantrum. When Reilly’s dad, Kyle, caught him before hitting the floor, the inertia from the fall caused Reilly to damage his spinal cord. What happened as a result is every parent’s worst nightmare: Reilly was diagnosed with a C2 complete spinal cord injury and was paralyzed from below the shoulders.

Just like with the aftermath of so many other tragic events, the right people were brought into the path and would be inspired to create something impactful.

When Reilly’s mother Tammy told her coworker, Mark Daggett, about what had happened to her young son, Daggett knew he had to do more than just send his condolences and prayers.

“This was the beginning of my learning journey about spinal cord injuries,” said Daggett. “Founding Rally4Reilly was a calling, and I am honored to be able to do my part.”

What Daggett did not know at the time was that his simple idea to organize a golf tournament in support of Reilly would go on to become a fully functional nonprofit in just a few years. The idea of donating the proceeds to Reilly’s family to help with the urgent costs of care and treatments would develop into multiple life changing grants for countless spinal cord injury survivors in San Diego through Rally4Reilly.

In 2017, Rally4Reilly was born and has changed the lives of countless spinal cord injury survivors since.

The purpose of Rally4Reilly is simple: assist survivors with the financial burden brought on by medical expenses that insurance will not cover. The organization also serves their grant recipients with resource education, personal support and a sense of community.

“Our goal is to become a “one stop shop” for people with spinal cord injuries” said Daggett. “So when they come out of the hospital, they don’t have to search high and low for resources. They’ll be able to spend their time doing what they’re supposed to be doing- healing and adjusting to their new lifestyle.”

The financial hardship of medical expenses can cause a range of other issues, such as emotional and family dynamic difficulties. This past year, Rally4Reilly was able to help a local Chula Vista family whose 18 year-old son is a survivor after being hit by a stray bullet and becoming paralyzed. The family was referred to the nonprofit by Sharp Hospital, and they were assisted financially for about 7 months. The Rally4Reilly board was grateful they were given the opportunity to assist a South Bay family in such a dynamic way.

Rally4Reilly gave grants to 7 spinal cord injury survivor families last year, and is looking to expand this number as they continue to assist survivors on a rolling basis. Their new partnership with San Diego State University’s adaptive health program has also helped with growing and developing new ways to serve the spinal cord injury community.

“We are not in it for the accolades, but it does warm my heart to know that our nonprofit helped this family stay in their house by assisting with rent for those months after initial recovery,” said Daggett.

Daggett describes himself as “The busdriver for the organization,” but proudly recognizes his incredible team to help steer the nonprofit in the right direction. Board member Mora de Murguia values Daggetts leadership and passion for serving the spinal cord injury community on an empathetic level.

“Mark has tapped into a true passion for helping others,” said Murgia. “He is dedicated to the success and growth of Rally4Reilly, this is why this nonprofit is becoming a leading source of grant monies for families impacted by spinal cord injuries.”

As Rally4Reilly quickly expanded as the list for grant applicants grew, Daggett brought more board members who shared the same passion for the spinal cord injury community onto the scene. One board member, Chula Vista resident Carmen Richardson, has brought her dynamic skills to the nonprofit.

“Rally4Reilly is helping an underserved community,” said Richardson. “To change one life, and get one person pointed in one direction, it would be enough. The fact that we can do that more than once with each new survivor family is so heartwarming.”

The funds to assist spinal cord injury survivors do not just appear, Rally4Reilly has been hosting more fundraising events as the need for more grants rises. These events include an annual golf tournament to raise funds for their grants, as well as multiple community engagements throughout the year. With almost 50 sponsors and individual donors, the nonprofit hopes to grow its network to be able to serve more survivors in the coming years. One of the first sponsors of Rally4Reilly was Baldwin&Sons, a land development company which also serves the local Chula Vista community.

The spinal cord injury community is a relatively small group, with recent research by the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistics Center showing that spinal cord injury injuries occur in 54 per one million people in The United States annually. This leaves the spinal cord injury population often overlooked and not able to receive the awareness it deserves.

Rally4Reilly has worked tirelessly to fill the gap in this underserved community.

Rally4Reilly recently won the George Chamberlin Community Leadership Award from KOGO 600 News Radio, something that the board hopes will help the nonprofit gain exposure from and attract more donors.

The one who sparked the flame for Rally4Reilly, Reilly himself, is now almost 8 years old and thriving.

“He is so resilient,” said Daggett. “Reilly will always be our ambassador and be our “why”, he is an excellent example of the strength of the spinal cord injury community.”