KAMSACK — A GoFundMe page set up to help the family of a 19-year-old Kamsack man raised over $57,000 in four days.
Ethen Krawetz suffered a catastrophic spinal cord injury on June 4, leaving all four limbs paralyzed and with no ability to move from the shoulders down, says the page which was set up by his uncle Curtis Krawetz. “Donations raised will help Ethen's parents care for him and his two younger siblings.”
His uncle says that the goal is to raise $350,000, and as of June 23, the GoFundMe page said that more than $68,000 had been raised.
“We are told that Ethen will be hospitalized for a very long time (months) and will need professional care and support for the rest of his life, including, among other things, specialized equipment in his home, a specialized vehicle, personal professional day-to-day care and medical support,” Curtis said. “This is our family’s official account and all funds will be used to establish a fund to help Ethen and his family through this life-changing event and provide care for him in the months and years ahead.
“We are currently focused on stabilizing Ethen’s breathing as his lungs struggle to work correctly. He was in good spirits, but we are early in his journey and he will need a lot of love and support to get through this.
“This kid deserves nothing but the best in his fight so let’s give it to him!
“The funds we raise will be used to ensure his family can feel free to put their primary focus on Ethen and his two younger siblings at this critical time and into the future.
“We are also hoping that between this campaign and raising money through other avenues, we can eventually send Ethen for therapy that isn’t offered in our current medical system.
“I know I may be getting ahead of myself, but seeing what is going on in this field of work is amazing and gives families like ours hope,” Curtis said. “But it also takes an army of support emotionally and financially.”
The son of Dawn and the late Cory Krawetz, Ethen has a young brother aged 17 and younger sister aged 15, he said. The kids lost their father when Ethen was five years old.
“Ethen also has a wonderful girlfriend who he lights up around and is also supported by Dawn's partner and both sets of grandparents, and the entire community of Kamsack.
“Ethen is a caring, hardworking, loveable young man just starting out in life. He loves the outdoors, snowmobiles, hunting, fishing, vehicles, and all his family and friends. He often refereed local hockey games and even took a hand in helping out coaching the little ones in town with lots of parents commenting to me how much the kids loved Ethen.”
Ethen graduated from the Kamsack Comprehensive Institute in 2021 and in May, he graduated from Parkland College with a welding certificate, Curtis said. Ethen was starting a new job this month at a manufacturing plant in Gerald as a welder.
“He was so excited, and because I know his personality, work ethic and ability to make people smile, I think he was indeed on a path to a successful and happy life.
“This kid always has a smile on his face and can carry a conversation with the best of them (He’s quite the storyteller),” he said. “He takes pride in everything he does. Whether it is a shop project he completed, taking care of his father’s older snowmobile or his vehicle, Ethen treats everything of his like it’s worth a million dollars. Most importantly, Ethen has been a role model for his siblings and a rock in his family, helping his mother with his siblings whenever needed. He always takes time to help his grandparents and anyone else that needs it. He truly is a one of a kind!
“Ethen’s father Cory passed away in October 2008 in a tragic ATV accident, resulting from a severe spinal injury. Ethen’s mother lost a husband and the kids lost their father. The children were so young at the time. Ethen was five, but was old enough to take on many of his dad's traits and hobbies such as hunting, snowmobiling and taking pride in his truck.
“With the help of both sets of grandparents, relatives, her partner, and other community members and friends from near and far, Ethen's mother did an excellent job raising three great kids. His brother was three, and his sister was one so their memories are much more distant of their father, but one thing is for sure, the community supported the family then, and they will support them once again.
“Growing up without their father was extremely hard, but that didn’t stop them from growing up to be great human beings,” Curtis said. “The stress of losing a husband and father is enough to last a lifetime, so adding Ethen’s injury to this family’s pain breaks my heart.
“None of them deserve this so we need to help ease their pain.
“It is early in Ethen's fight and I can already see the costs that Ethen’s family will incur to provide just the basics of life for Ethen, never mind what it will take to give him the quality of life he deserves.
“This is just the beginning, and I’m going to make it my life’s goal to support Ethen and this family, but I need help doing so and so do they.
“I love them all so much, and after my brother passed, whenever I say a prayer, it always includes, ‘Dear Lord, please watch over Cory’s family. Keep them safe, healthy and happy and allow them all the opportunities to succeed at whatever they choose in life given the challenges they’ve had to face, Amen.’
“Please help me do this with whatever you can, whether it be supporting the family emotionally or financially. My wife and I will top up the 2.9 per cent fee GoFundMe takes from all donations, so please don’t let that deter you from funding here.
“Thank you to all who have supported this family before and for considering supporting them again,” Curtis said. “Your generosity means the world to all of us. I will be posting updates of Ethen’s fight so his supporters can follow his progress.”
People may donate to the Ethen Krawetz Fund by going to GoFundMe.
