By Shereen Siewert
Friends and family members of a well-known Wausau baseball coach who was critically injured in a fall are working to raise funds to help defray his medical costs as he fights for survival and recovery.
Ron Carpenter, who managed and coached the Wausau All-Stars and the Wisconsin River Rats, has been a staple in the Wausau baseball community for decades.
Carpenter suffered serious injuries on May 6 when he fell down a flight of stairs and hit his head on concrete, nearly severing his spinal cord. One day later, while recovering at a Wausau hospital, Carpenter had a stroke and was transferred to UW Health University Hospital in Madison, where he underwent surgery to remove a blood clot. He suffered further complications after developing pneumonia, family members said.
One week later, Carpenter was stabilized and transferred back to Wausau, where he is expected to remain an inpatient for many weeks.
“When he is stable enough, he will go back to Madison to have his neck fused,” wrote Jamie Carpenter, in her GoFundMe page. “After that there will be months/years of physical therapy, rehabilitation, and possibly the need for long term care.”
Now, the family of a man who gave so much to his players in the baseball community are asking for help – and the community is responding. In less than 11 hours, the fundraiser generated more than $3,000 in donations, but has a goal of $30,000.
To donate and learn more about Ron Carpenter, visit the GoFundMe page here.
