In 2004, Jarred was surfing alone in California. As he was trying to catch a wave, he stood up too far forward on his board and ended up falling over the front and smashing his head into a sandbar. The moment he hit the sand, he couldn’t move anything and Jarred knew he had broken his neck. Because Jarred was unable to move, he was also unable to call for help. A woman on the beach saw Jarred’s surfboard without anyone on it and went to grab it when it came to shore. This is when she saw Jarred floating in the water and went to get a lifeguard, who called an ambulance and started CPR.

Jarred was in the ICU for over a month and his family was told he would most likely be on a ventilator for the rest of his life. Jarred defied these odds and a month later was discharged to a rehab facility. Today, he is living with a C6/7 incomplete spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury.

Jarred needed assistance with replacing the cylinders on the lift for his van. Without these, he was unable to use his van, which meant he was confined to his house unless he could get a ride from friends. While this may seem like a small item, it took away Jarred’s independence and replacing it would create a great financial strain. Unfortunately, this is not an item that insurance will cover.

Jarred’s Victory Scholarship allowed him to have the repairs on his van lift done & get back to being an active member of his community.

“I am so thankful to be receiving this scholarship, it will give me back my independence. With the fixes to my van lift I'll be able to all of my daily tasks again without the frustrations of public transit or having to ask friends for rides. Thank you!”