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Football

Football Community Rallies Around Quadriplegic Brother in Need

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The NFL Players Association and Baltimore Ravens football player Willis McGahee partnered with the Howard County Association of Realtors to help Joe Sclafani, a former Towson University football player, make his home accessible due to a spinal cord injury that left him a quadriplegic. Sclafani's situation was brought to the attention of the football community through an email from Towson University's head coach, Rob Ambrose, to former players imploring them to help a "brother in need." This chain of events led to the Sclafanis being selected for the Maryland Partnership for Housing Foundation's Maryland Home Makeover program, a spinoff of NBC's "Extreme Home Makeover," which aims to provide a brand new addition to their home with handicap accessibilities.

Key Takeaways:

  • Joe Sclafani, a former Towson University football player, became a quadriplegic due to a spinal cord injury that caused his C5/C6 disk to bulge and compress his spinal cord, as well as an infectious abscess that encapsulated itself into his spinal cord.
  • Sclafani's house requires significant modifications to make it handicapped-accessible, but the family cannot afford the necessary renovations due to their disability income not covering their monthly bills.
  • The football community rallied around Sclafani, with former Towson University coach Rob Ambrose sending an email to former players asking for help, which sparked a chain of events that led to the Sclafanis being selected for the Maryland Home Makeover program.
  • NFL player Willis McGahee partnered with the Howard County Association of Realtors to help find a solution for the Sclafanis, and they were contacted by the Maryland Partnership for Housing Foundation.
  • The Maryland Home Makeover program, a spinoff of NBC's "Extreme Home Makeover," aims to provide a brand new addition to the Sclafanis' home with handicap accessibilities.
  • The Sclafanis are the recipients of a brand new addition to their home, which will be outfitted with handicap accessibilities they had previously only dreamed of.
  • The partnership between McGahee and the Howard County Association of Realtors has been invaluable in helping local families in need, and McGahee believes that the "brotherhood of football" is a bond that goes beyond the playing field.
  • Coaches and players from the football community, such as Rob Ambrose and Rick Trott, have shown a strong sense of commitment to helping those in need, and their efforts have had a positive impact on the lives of the Sclafanis.

Statistics:

  • 20% of the Sclafani house is currently accessible to Joe Sclafani on his own.
  • The master bedroom door was widened to allow Joe to access it, but he and his wife, Monica, sleep in separate single beds due to the size of the hallway and entrance sizes of the rooms.
  • The one bathroom in the house is not accessible, with an entrance smaller than the girls' rooms.
  • Joe Sclafani is unable to feel running water and gets "bird baths" every day lying in bed.
  • The football community has shown a strong sense of commitment to helping those in need, with coaches and players from the community coming together to help the Sclafanis.
  • The Maryland Home Makeover program aims to provide a brand new addition to the Sclafanis' home, which will be outfitted with handicap accessibilities.

Sources:

  • National Football League Players Association (NFL PLAYERS.COM)
  • Campins Lifestyle Management
  • Towson University
  • Baltimore Ravens
  • Howard County Association of Realtors
  • Maryland Partnership for Housing Foundation
  • NBC's "Extreme Home Makeover"

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