Carl Riccio Special Needs Trust

Message From Carl 1/8/2006

I recently finished my first semester of my sophomore year. It was the best semester grade wise I have had yet. I ended with a 3.6 GPA. I learned the most in my accounting class where my group and I completed a full business plan to open a café. I learned many things on how to run and start a small business that will be useful in my future.

Christmas recently passed and it was nice to see all of my family from both sides at the Christmas parties. The thing I hope and pray for most during these holidays is for everyone to stay healthy and be happy. For Christmas my family and I went into New York City for dinner and to see a play called Mamamia. The play was great, the songs were really good along with the story.

For therapy I have been able to keep up on everything because I was able to transfer all the machines I have at school home for the month. While home I also go to the high school a couple times to see my teachers and watch a couple wrestling practices. I make all the wrestling matches while I am home. The most exciting thing for me during my break is going to the matches because I love watching my brothers and the Watchung Hills team wrestle and compete. I am proud of my brothers and how good they have become.

Another great thing during the break is all the time I get to spend with all my friends from home. It feels great so many of us are able to stay so close even though we go to different schools all over the country. Last I would like to wish everybody a happy new year and thank everyone again for leaving me messages. I enjoy reading them every week.

Thank you,
Carl Riccio

Update 11/16/2005

Much has happened since I last posted on this website. Carl is 3 months into his second year at Villanova University. He is doing well academically as well as socially. Villanova has been great to Carl. They are first class in every aspect of higher education, including their support for handicapped students like Carl.

The 3rd annual golf outing and dinner, was held October 24 at Royce Brook. It was a huge success and a great night for Carl. We thank everyone who helped and attended. Special thanks to the founder of this event Jose Rivera and all his friends at Morgan Stanley and special guests Bobby Thompson (Shot Heard Round the World) and Dr Wise Young (Rutgers Collaborative Research Center for SCI research).

Carl and his mother have been stem cell advocates for over two years, they have been involved in dozens of events to support and to further the understanding of all types of stem cell research, including embryonic stem cell research. These efforts have brought them into the world of politics, they have met many people involved in medical research, as well as all levels of political people. Much to Carl's credit he has been given a gift that allows him to observe and listen and find out what people are all about - if they are good, sincere, honest. How he has this ability at such a young age is amazing, and it serves him well.

I spoke to Carl before he came out in support of Governor Corzine. We spoke of the automatic controversy he would be involved in when he stepped over the line of advocacy and into the world of politics. Carl truly liked Senator Corzine he told me that as far as he could tell he believes he is sincere, honest and a good man and Carl wanted to support him however he could.

We have five children and they all have made us proud. I can honestly say that they are all good kids and citizens. My life revolves around my kids and I am not ashamed to say it because it is true. But I must admit very few hours go by in my life that Carl is not on my mind, he is a constant. Sometimes I cry, sometimes I smile, but always I am proud and honored to have him as my son.

Thank you,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Message From Carl 10/22/2005

Back To School:

My sophomore year has begun and it’s going even better than last year. I am living in the same room as last year but all my neighbors are different. I’ve met tons of new people and new friends. I also am able to keep all my friends who lived near me last year, because they live in the apartments on west campus and I can easily ride my wheelchair over there. My cousin Ryan lives on west campus and I visit his apartment also.

Academically I have a full course load, and I am doing well keeping my grades up. The second and the harder half of my semester is about to begin, but I will continue to work hard and do well.

Every couple of weeks I come back to participate in different kinds of stem cell advocating. A couple weeks ago I came back from school and spoke at a press conference for stem cell research with Senator Corzine. Next week I’m going to be making a commercial with Senator Corzine supporting Stem cells. I will continue to take every opportunity to be active in supporting this issue by participating in as many events as possible.

On October 24, a golf outing to help support me is being held at Royce Brook Golf Course. I would love to see everyone there.

Thank you,
Carl Riccio

Update 9/14/2005

Carl's world according to me:

It's funny how things change over time, yet other things and thoughts are always with you. The day of Carl's accident and the constant wishing that it never happened and the what ifs such as what would life be like if he were not disabled, are always with me. The sadness and melancholy moments that go along with these thoughts are also always around the corner, but more and more I find myself looking forward to Carl's life as he is growing and maturing into a productive member of society - just has he was in high school and now in college.

My hope for a cure has not waned, in fact I am as hopeful as ever that someday Carl will live a more complete physical life, live more independently, do more with the physical abilities he has and maybe someday will gain, and most of all have a family of his own. I know Carl will be a great father and husband some day. To me, at this time, I do not care if that is in a wheel chair or walking although of course I would prefer the latter.

Carl continues to be the light of my life and the inspiration that keeps me going. He rarely misses an opportunity to interact with friends and family. He is physically beautiful and has a heart of gold. If there is a God, he has truly tested one of his best creations and Carl is passing with flying colors.

In the last year, two families I know have lost a teenage child in car accidents. These losses are unacceptable to the human mind. They are so sad and unimaginable that my heart is broken for these families. I remember a time when I was wondering if it would be better if my son died rather than live as a quadriplegic. I apologize to God for such thoughts. I now know how lucky I am to have Carl and for that matter, everyone who is touched by him in the past and the future.

On October 24, 2005 we will be having the third annual golf outing for Carl. We appreciate everyone who could attend. You can view the info on this web site by clicking here.

Thank you,
Peter and Patricia Riccio

Message From Carl 8/9/2005

Hi, since my last post I have moved down the shore. My sister is a pharmacist at CVS in Philadelphia, and my brother Peter is working as a bartender near Villanova. Shane and Tyler are down here helping me and my new assistant.

Last post I was in the process of finding a new assistant, and after a month, I finally found a man who wants the job and who is coming to Villanova with me in August. His name is Soso and he was a very fast learner and is excited about the job. I hope my second year at school goes as smooth as possible and I have a good time.

Down the shore I have been doing tons of exercise and my shoulders and biceps are continuing to get stronger. I also have been doing lots of things with my friends who come down the shore, including going to Phillies baseball games with my cousins and Uncle John. The games were fun and I’m looking forward to the next time we go.

There is a new interview update from Patriot Cable on my web site, so check that out.

Thank you,
Carl

Message From Carl 6/20/2005

First I would like to thank all my supporters for their continued encouragement. Since the last time I posted a message, I finished my second semester at Villanova. Looking back on the school year I am extremely pleased with my grades and my decision to attend Villanova. Whenever problems arouse my family, friends, and administration at school helped guide me. A couple weeks ago my older siblings Kerry and Peter both graduated college. Kerry graduated as a Doctor of Pharmacy and Peter received a Marketing degree. I was exceptionally proud of their achievements.

My main concentration since school fished has been the search for a new assistant, because the man who has worked for me the past one and a half years retired. My dad and I have been interviewing many people interested in the job, but we still have not found a person who is able to go to Villanova and be my assistant. In the meantime my family has been helping me but it is not the solution. Working for me is a full time job and I don't want a family member taking on this responsibility for an extended period of time. Not having my own aid also restricts my family and my own independence because I always have to be with a family member who is able to take care of me. I am not worried about this problem because my dad is working hard looking for a new assistant, and my family is excellent working with me in the meantime.

Lobbying for continued stem cell research with my mother is another concentration for me this summer. The first week home from school I went to the state house with my mom and Aunt Linda to talk to New Jersey assemblymen about what I think of stem cell research and how it gives me hope for chance to be cured. This Thursday my mother and I are going to be on channel 8 for Patriot cable discussing and answering questions on stem cell research. After it is aired I will make sure we get the clips on my web site for anyone who is interested in viewing it.

Please continue writing notes to me on the message board. I enjoy and appreciate all the messages.

Thank you,
Carl

Update 5/16/2005

Carl is finishing his first year at Villanova and is studying hard for his final exams. I’m so proud of him; he is such a good person, yet he is tough as nails. This combination serves him well with his physical handicap. Carl could not leave yesterday for Mother’s Day dinner, because of his exams and of course Tricia and all of us were disappointed, but once again it shows how responsible he is.

Carl will be coming home next week and for me, him being in my home makes me happy. I'm sad every day he is not with us, yet it is important he has his own life independent of his parents. It of course is great that he is able to go to college and grow as a person away from his family, just like everyone else his age.

I cannot say enough good things about Villanova University, the teachers, students and administration have been great to Carl and we appreciate it. I want to give special thanks to mar McWilliams a teacher at Villanova, who has taken it upon himself to be the advocate for special needs students. He is a special man, who works tirelessly for these students.

Recently I had a conversation with Mr. McWilliams and he expressed to me his concern about Carl's overall mental health, as to the way he lives, carries himself, talks to people and just generally lives his life on a daily basis. He has dealt with dozens of special needs students and has rarely if ever came across anyone in Carl’s situation who has a level of happiness and self assuredness as Carl. He worries sometime that Carl holds everything in and will some day have a problem because of it. I understand what Mr. McWilliams was saying and I also worry about this, but maybe Carl is just that special, maybe he is so balanced and gifted with a better understanding of life than most of us. I hope this is the case, but when and if he ever becomes bitter or depressed his family and friends will be there for him. The fact that he has not had any bouts of real depression in two and a half years is a tribute to his special strength of personality, which very few have.

I thank god and most of all Carl for being the person he is. He has made the past 28 months a growing experience for my family.my wife and kids are even closer than they were before his accident. I often lay in bed and wonder what life would be like if Carl was not injured, but more and more I lay in bed and think what would life be like if Carl were not Carl.

I have my answer for Mr. McWilliams. Please help Carl to continue to open doors closed by his handicap, keep educating everyone as to what handicapped people need and please keep watching Carl for any signs of depression or anguish because of his handicap, but maybe Carl is that one in a million special people, who understand life more than the rest of us, able to accept the hand dealt him and go on and have a life as full as anyone else, we live in a time that technology has given Carl independence that was unheard of just 20 years ago. Biotechnology has given us hope for a real cure in the future, so we will always be ready physically as well as mentally to get up and walk. Yet Carl will never sit around waiting for a cure he will go on with life, learn what he can do and find out how to do things that he cannot do.

Carl will yell at me dozens of times over the next 3 months, he will do some things I don’t want him to do, and he will make me proud every day. And one thing that I will guarantee when he goes back to college next September my family and I will have learned much from being with Carl. He is that special.

Thank you,
Peter and Tricia Riccio
Note: The next 3 updates will be written by Carl

Update 4/7/2005

I have just finished reading everything on CareCure, the site that informs the SCI community about what is going on in the world as far as research, politics, fundraising as well as every other aspect of life as a spinal cord injured person. I sadly have come to the conclusion that although there are many good people working for cures, the world of medical science is filled with false hopes, political nonsense, and religious fanatics.

My third birthday after my son’s injury is here. My hope has turned into despair. The scientific world has ground to a halt and the political wrangling and fundraising is the only thing we can read about. Six months ago, the talk was of a cure, combination therapies, clinical trials; people we know are good, made us feel that a cure was around the corner - this is all gone now.

It’s funny how hope and faith, in reality, are the same thing. We have faith in God and for that matter, that there is a God. We have hope that our loved ones inflicted with some disease will be cured, yet hope is given and taken away so easily by the people we are hoping will help us. The history of SCI is one of false hopes, over the past 50 years a new drug, operation, machine or whatever, have falsely given the SCI community hope. I know at this moment, my son being sick, no hope in sight, and an overall malaise. I am at a low and after all I am an eternal optimist so I will soon be ok and hopeful again. I just HOPE that my son will live a full and healthy life again. Where is the breakthrough? When will it happen? I am waiting.

In the meantime Carl does remarkably well. Although having some medical problems, he maintains good grades and does all his physical therapy. He follows his brothers’ athletic accomplishments as if he were their father. I know he is frustrated at times, who wouldn’t be. He continues to be the love of my life and the wind beneath my wings.

My wife had a meeting with our congressmen, Mr. Ferguson; the meeting was about stem cell research and SCI research in general. He told my wife, Mrs. Riccio, lets face it your son will never walk in his lifetime. He was not malicious, he was just saying what he believes in. Talk about lack of hope and faith in our research scientist. Maybe he will be right and I will be sad but hopeful my whole life, my son deserves that from me.

Love to all who care for Carl,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 3/16/2005

Hi! It has been over a month since my last update. I’m sorry I never got Carl to write a letter while off the last week. I assure you he will the next time he is home. We have past the 2 year mark on Carl’s terrible injury. My hopes of a cure rise and fall like the tides. The last bit of news about actual science has not been as hopeful as I was expecting. The synergistic response they were hoping to get with stem cells or OEG cells and drugs has not materialized as of yet. I am however an eternal optimist and will continue to push Carl toward a future in and out of a wheel chair, whatever the future is.

Carl made it out to the districts to watch his brothers. Shane and Tyler took first. Then at the regions they both took third and went on to the states. Carl is very into his brothers wrestling and enjoys all the matches. He has a very tough life as a quadriplegic but he makes the best of it. No matter how good people are and how much friends and relatives care for Carl, the fact is that they must leave him behind in many of their everyday enjoyments. Playing football, basketball, parties that he can’t get into; these things hurt me as his father, but that’s the way it is and there is nothing anyone can do about it. He must make the best of it, be tough, and have a successful life no matter what roadblocks he has to navigate.

I would like to explain once again why there is a need for embryonic stem cells. I want to make it as simple as possible. I see and read so much about stem cells and the vast majority of people who are against embryonic stem cells are either misinformed or just don’t want to be informed properly.

Question: Why do we need embryonic stem cells? Why not just use adult stem cells?

Answer: The only stem cells that scientist have found that will live in the central nervous system long enough to change into CNS cells are embryonic stem cells. Central Nervous System(CNS) is the brain and the spinal cord.

Myth: We are killing embryos.

Fact: The only cells used are those that would be destroyed on a regular basis because they were no longer going to ever be used for having a baby. No embryos are made for the sole purpose of stem cell research.

The spinal cord research in this country has been on hold because of this on going debate. Instead of reading about clinical trials, it is a constant clash of pros and cons on stem cells.

Carl is doing very well at college. He has new friends and is doing very well with his studies. I hope he is cured someday, he is such a good person; if you know him you love him.

Thanks for your continued interest in Carl.

Love,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 2/6/2005

I want to say once again, thank you for your continued interest in Carl. He is special and some day, he will do something that will benefit the world, I have no doubt in his personality and character. I will have him post a message on this website whenever he is home or on vacation. He will be home the first week of March so we could look forward to a letter from him at that time.

Carl just had his 19th birthday and the second as a quadriplegic. Two weeks from now will be the anniversary of the worst day of our lives. My mother used to say, “Only a mother could understand what I am going through”, when things went wrong, and I know that every parent can imagine what my family is going through under the circumstances. Sometimes I feel guilty when I hear of the boys and girls being killed in Iraq or of terrible tragedies that happen to other families -- I still do not know how they go on with such a loss. Thank God I have my son, Carl. He is the best thing that has ever happened to me. My family is my life, and they have rallied around Carl in a way that has made me proud.

Carl continues to live life to the fullest. He is doing well in school and works hard at his physical therapy. Of course he is missing a lot and that hurts me, but he is not the type to complain he just goes on with an attitude that is second to none.

Carl keeps up on his brothers wrestling careers and is in constant contact with his brothers and sister. We just found out that Carl will not be compensated for any of his loss according to his attorney. I called Carl to tell him and he told me don’t worry he will be fine. We will now, with the help of all of you, redouble our efforts for Carl’s golf outing, run by Carl’s two guarding angels, Jose Rivera and Denise Cappuccio. The outing will be an important part of Carl’s life. Living with an assistant and all the physical therapy is an economic challenge. I ask everyone who cares about Carl to attend his golf outing and/or dinner in October 2005 I will give exact dates and numbers to call in the future. We will be adding things to the outing such as a fashion show and an auction.

I continue to monitor everything going on in the world off spinal cord research and a hopeful cure. We are not there yet, but from what I have read, our hope is not unwarranted. My sources continue to be optimistic.

I will try to tell one of my good dreams and thoughts. I’m sure it will sound ridiculous, but our minds are unbelievable organs that produce thoughts and things that may have no logic, but are still of some value. I wake up every night from dreams about Carl. Sometimes about his life before the accident, and sadly, many times about that day, 2/22/03. I know this will never go away, but recently a new and vivid dream has developed in my brain. I then wake up and continue the dream, and think about it, and how I would have it come to pass if Carl was cured.

Carl, with the miracle of stem cell research, is cured and works hard, with me yelling and pushing him of course, on the side. He works so hard that he begins playing baseball in the backyard. Before we know it, he is ready to play and gets reinstated by the NCAA and plays baseball for Villanova.

I know this is ridiculous and corny, but what the heck, it makes me happy.

Thank you,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 1/10/2005

Hello everyone!

I would like to start off thanking my cousin Mike McCarey for keeping this website updated with my progress through the past two years. I appreciate the messages my family, friends, and others have written me. Every time I read the messages it helps me to be mentally strong and gives me the desire to be as successful as I can in everything I do. In the past two years I have taken many steps in continuing to make my life better. Through exercise I have been able to keep my body in the best shape possible while finishing high school and completing my first semester at Villanova.

My first semester at Villanova was definitely a new experience. I had to adapt and change many things in order to be successful. I went off to college with my personal assistant, Fred, and I soon learned only relying on one person to help me was probably not going to work. I began to fall behind on my schoolwork and I had difficulty finding time to do my exercise. I went to Mr. Steve McWilliams, the head of Villanova’s special services, and he was willing and able to help me right away. Mr. McWilliams helped find a list of tutors and other students willing to help me with schoolwork and other daily activities. Having these people help me organize a schedule enabled me to exercise, eat, and complete all my schoolwork on a daily basis. By following this schedule I was able to complete my first semester with good grades, have a good time, and stay healthy.

In my free time, usually the weekends, I was able to make many new friends. I went out to parties with them, saw movies, and enjoyed the college experience.

My family was also a big help while away from home. My sister, Kerry, who was only fifteen minutes away would cook me dinner or bring me out to dinner once a week and sometimes help me with my schoolwork. My older brother, Peter, who also attends Villanova would invite me over his house to hang out or to play some poker games. Ryan, my cousin who lives right across the hall from me also helped me out tremendously this semester. He was always checking in on me to make sure everything was ok. He introduced me to many people and helped me feel comfortable in my new setting.

Even though I am enjoying myself at college, I still miss some things at home. I definitely miss my two younger brothers and my parents who primarily took care of me during the first year and half of my injury. If it wasn’t for my parents I would not be the person I am today or be able to do half the things I am able to do, such as going to college, without their love and support. When I talk to my parents and my brothers from college, I am always wondering how they are doing with their schooling and sports. I want them to be as successful as they possibly can. Recently I came home for winter break and I was happy to spend this month with my whole family. During this break, Shane and Tyler’s wrestling season has started and it makes me very happy to come home and be able to see their matches.

Another thing I was looking forward to this winter break was seeing my close friends from high school. I was happy to see that all of them were doing well and our friendships remained as close as we were before college.

I would like to end off by saying thank you to all my family, friends, and fans who have all supported me. I would like to take a moment and point out a few special people who I have gotten to know through my message board….

Carol Armbrecht, I hope you and your family are doing well. Thank you for all your messages of support.

To Eddie Lancaster, I think of you often. It was so nice meeting you this past year. I want you to hang in there and stay tough; there IS HOPE for us in the future. Don’t ever give up! (That goes for you too Carol)

To all my wrestling fans…thank you for all you support!

To Aunt Renee for all the hard work you have put in through the past 2 years…Thank you!

To all my aunts, uncles, cousins, and family…Thank you all the most…I couldn’t ask for a more loving and supporting family.

Thank you all! I want to wish everyone a happy holiday and a happy and healthy New Year!

Love,
Carl

Update 12/12/2004

Once again, I thank everyone who reads these updates. Carl is doing well at Villanova. Of course like everyone, he has bumps in the road that he must navigate and so far he has done a remarkable job. His academic grades are excellent and his mental approach to life is remarkable. The other day Carl informed us that he has not been feeling well for about 3 days. He had absolutely no appetite, but he told us that he forced himself to eat three times a day anyway. To me this shows what he is made of. He understands his situation. He never complains and he does everything he can to not only live life, but to excel in it.

Carl will be coming home December 20th but he has two exams that day so he will have to miss his brothers wrestling tournament at CBA on the 19th as well as the family Christmas parties on the 19th and 20th. He is disappointed but he'll see everyone when he comes home and at every wrestling match until he returns to school.

I'm not a philosopher, but since my son's injury, in the middle of every night of my life, I am awake for a couple of hours and just think about things - the day of my son's accident, what is, what could have been, what I am missing and what I have. These kinds of thoughts are both sad and fulfilling. Recently my cousin's daughter and a friend's son both died in automobile accidents. Everyday in the news we hear of young Americans being killed in Iraq. My thoughts go toward the parents of these kids. How do they go on? How do they accept the loss of their most precious possession? The answer I am coming to realize is time and good people. I, of course, have my son and I thank God every day that I do, but I must admit, at the same time I curse Him out and beg Him for a cure. I cover all bases.

Thanksgiving has just passed and Christmas and Hannukah are around the corner. For me, and my family, I want to wish everyone who reads this a happy and healthy holiday season and for those who have losses we will pray for you and hope you will have peace of mind sometime soon.

The next update will be written by Carl during his vacation.

Thank you and have a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 11/16/2004

I first want to thank everyone who reads these updates, this means you still think of, support, and pray for Carl. As his father I can tell you it makes me feel good to know so many people care. A few weeks ago, Jose Rivera and Denise Cappuccio visited and gave us an update on this year’s fundraiser, which was very successful, and discussed what they planned on doing next year to make it better. I appreciate everyone’s support, and believe me, it is a great day for Carl and my family.

We were at Villanova last weekend. Shane and Tyler spent the entire weekend with Carl. There are many things Carl cannot do because of physical restraints. For instance, most parties are at off campus frats or homes where Carl cannot get in, and I know he would love to play in the football games that are all over campus on Saturday and Sundays, yet he goes to his brother and cousins football games, and has people over to his room on many occasions. As time goes by he will have to broaden his comfort zone and branch out to other groups and I am sure he will.

The elections, of course, were a very important time for us. Although non-political, we were very much in favor of stem cell research and so we were hoping for Kerry who was a proponent of all kinds of stem cell research. Carl was disappointed, but I pointed out that California passed a stem cell bond issue and our hope is that they will find a cure if the promise of stem cells is true.

Sadly I must say that our family has had negative feedback from people who are against embryonic stem cell research. The religious people in our lives have let it be known that Tricia’s open support of stem cell research is against church teachings. I have read everything I can get my hands on as to the scientific research going on in the world as to all kinds of stem cell research, especially as they relate to spinal cord injury. We do not know if we will be condemned by God because of our support of embryonic stem cell research, nor do I know if my son will ever be cured because of this science, but I can tell you what science has found so far: 1) Embryos are thrown away by the thousands in this country, never to be used for the birth of a baby, if these cells can help Carl and others walk, who would say no. 2) The reason they need embryonic stem cells is that they are the only cells that live in the central nervous system.

Unlike my wife I am not an activist for anything, I am selfish and single minded in my approach to life - I just want my son to be cured. I want him to move his legs and arms and live life as he did before 2/22/03. I would do anything to this end. I will never understand how some people would deny this to my son if possible. I can tell you I have no animosity toward anyone’s beliefs, and I do feel bad that some who supported Carl since his injury now keep their distance because of our support for stem cells.

Hope, like faith, is personal and intangible. The history of hope as it pertains to a cure for spinal cord injury has been well documented over the last 40 years. The hope for a cure was in Russia in the 60s and 70s. Then the cure moved to the western hemisphere in the 80s with special operations and drugs in Central and South America. In the 90s came the Miami project, which had its genesis with the injury to a famous football players son. Their work was so promising with the use of Schwann cells that Dr. Wise Young told Christopher Reeve, when he was injured in the mid 90s, that he would be cured by the year 2000. Now it is the promise of OEG cells (olfactory cells), stem cells (including embryonic) and drugs or a combination of all or some of these.

I do not know if Carl will ever walk, I do know that I will never stop hoping that he will. I do know that as long as I have anything to say about it, Carl will keep his body as healthy and fit as possible to be ready for whenever science finds a cure. In the meantime Carl will continue to live as productive a life as possible. He is an inspiration to me and to many others and when I’m with him I feel good. He will be at Watchung Hills homecoming game next Wednesday, and that will be the next time I see him. I can’t wait.

Have a great Thanksgiving,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 10/21/2004

Carl was home on fall break this past week, and just like all parents looking forward to seeing their son or daughter after an extended period, Tricia and I were very excited. We were going to spend a lot of time with Carl, see some people, feed him good meals - just love him. Then I turned on the TV Monday morning and heard the terrible news that Christopher Reeve had died - I felt like a ton of bricks had fell on my head. The man that no one could replace, the person that was leading the crusade to cure my son, was gone, just like that.

My son was in a room less that 40 feet away and I was crying. I had to go to Carl and tell him about Christopher Reeve before he heard it on the news. I know how tough Carl is both mentally and physically, but Christopher Reeve to a quadriplegic was a person that portrayed strength, hope, intelligence and fortitude far more than any able bodied person could portray. He meant all of this to Carl and my family. When I told Carl what had happened, he looked right through me and, after a moment, asked what he had died of. I told him the truth - he had died of complications of a bedsore that eventually brought on heart failure. The same questions and fears went through Carl’s mind that went through mine. How could someone, with all the resources that Christopher Reeve had, have this happen to him. I told Carl to take care of himself, be aware of everything that happens to him physically, and pray that soon, with the help of the legacy of Christopher Reeve, there would be a cure.

Carl has been interviewed this week by two or three newspapers and magazines and has been on UPN 9 news as well as NBC news. I think that Carl can take up some of the slack that may be left from the passing of Christopher Reeve. No one person will have the clout of Christopher Reeve, but together, with people like Carl, his legacy will grow and his goal of a cure will be realized.

Christopher Reeve was the point man for Spinal Cord Injury. He was the man pushing for physical therapy advances, drug therapy, biotechnical advances, and most of all stem cell research. His bill is in congress next month. Please support the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Bill. Tell your congressmen and senators. This should not be a partisan, or for that matter, a political issue. This will help everyone and hurt no one. Today Arnold Schwarzenegger, republican governor from California, came out in support of the stem cell bond initiative in his state.

Carl and my family will try, in some small way, to carry on Christopher Reeve’s dreams and goals, my wife is a New Jersey stem cell advocate and involved in many political and medical groups trying to advance the knowledge and acceptance of stem cell research. We will forever try to help the cause of medical research so that Carl and thousands like him could live a better life

Carl returned to Villanova on Sunday and I miss him already. I miss his smile, I miss him yelling at me - I just miss him being around. I miss his interaction with his brothers and sister. He still listens to his older brother and sister as he did his whole life. His two younger brothers, he still lectures to, teaches, and complains to, and believe it or not, they listen to him as if he was special.

Thank you for your interest in my son. I hope to get the news articles and video on this site soon.

Please Dr. Wise Young, take care of yourself, stop smoking, drive slow, and eat right. Not for you, but for the thousands of SCI patients and their families that depend on you for everything. We lost Christopher reeves; we need you even more now.

Thank You,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 10/07/2004

This past Monday October 4, 2004, was very special for me. Not only was my entire family with me, but a new and extended family of friends and businessmen from Morgan Stanley, who have become the heart and soul of the Carl Riccio Annual Golf Outing run by Jose Rivera and Denise Cappuccio. I cannot say enough about all these wonderful men who take a day out of their lives to support my son. We are truly blessed to have their support and we will be forever grateful. The support of our family and friends has been continual and unwavering. I can only say thank you, and assure you that Carl is worth it and will make you proud.

Besides all these wonderful people and the beautiful weather, we were also honored to have the world’s leader in spinal cord injury research, the founder of the SCI Collaborative Research Center in New Jersey, and family friend and mentor Dr. Wise Young. I was in contact with dozens of doctors and research scientist throughout the world in the first few weeks of my son’s injury, and although most tried to be helpful and supportive, there was one beacon of hope and knowledge, and that was Dr. Wise Young. He came to visit Carl and my family the first week at Kessler Institute, it was then that we began to really learn the story of spinal cord injury, what has been the status quo and what the future will bring with the new and exciting world of stem cells and drug therapy.

To have people realize how fast things are moving in the world of medicine and stem cell research in particular, I would like to quickly explain where Dr. Young has been, and where he is, in the short time of the last three years. In Dr. Young's lab in New Jersey, with a few other doctors they transplanted olfactory cells(stem cells) into rats damaged spinal cords over time they began seeing some results, not a cure but some real function increase. With this, Dr. Huang, one of Dr. Young's students, went to China and started doing this operation on SCI injured people in China. Dr. Young was amazed and frightened. Since then Dr. Huang has done the operation on over 500 patients with various results. Dr. Young has been to China almost a dozen times in the last 2 years observing and reporting to us on Dr. Huang's progress.

Well that's enough of the background, I want to now tell you what Dr. Young told us in his speech on Monday. The man that gave me life and hope 18 months ago now says that a cure will happen in the next five years, to be exact he said before 5 years. I know how hard this has to be for Dr. Young to put a time frame on something such as a cure, that is why I am so optimistic and hopeful. The thoughts in my mind the last two days are not of Carl in a wheel chair and worse, but of what a new life for Carl will be as a recovering SCI patient. What will the limits be? Will he walk? Run? Play catch with his kids? I believe the answers are yes, and Tricia and I cant wait.

Once again, thank you Jose Rivera, Denise Cappuccio, all our family and friends, all the great people of Morgan Stanley and of course the great Dr. Wise Young.

Thank You,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 9/08/2004

Carl has been at Villanova for 2 weeks now. It has been a hard time for us. I think that every young person leaving home for college has an adjustment period, and for a quadriplegic it is multiplied ten fold. The problems started two days before he was to leave when his assistant announced he was not going to Villanova. After I got over the shock and the need to kill him, I just decided I would move to Villanova and take the job of Carl's assistant, enroll in some courses, get in shape and join the diving team. After a day or so the assistant came back and these plans were put on hold to Carl's great relief.

Tricia has been working daily for months on Carl’s transition to college and still more things have gone wrong then right. The phone line is still not in, the computer system that works his room is not yet installed properly, Carl has been sick, and he has not been able to do his physical therapy for two weeks for various reasons. I have been worried about Carl constantly and have felt a large void in my life, but just as things seemed worse, Carl has physically gotten better. With that and a little more organization and time management, life in college will be fruitful and fun. As usual Carl is amazing, funny, inspirational and the center of my life.

I hope a cure is coming. Stem cells are what we hang our hats on at this time. One of the greatest people I know Dr. Wise Young, from the Spinal Cord Collaborative Research Center in New Jersey, will be speaking at the dinner for Carl on October 4, 2004. Carl’s great benefactor, Jose Rivera, who runs this fundraiser for him, asked for a speaker on stem cells and we have the best coming. Please, anyone who is interested in Carl or SCI research come and meet Dr. Young on October 4th(details on site).

I have been gifted in the fact that I have been able to provide my family with the finances to live a good life, but I can tell you this tragedy is something that would challenge the finances of all but a very few. So once again, I must thank everyone who has helped us in this regard, we will be eternally grateful.

We played a football game on the beach a few weeks ago and Carl was watching his brothers and friends play. I cried as I watched Carl, laughing, joking, and just having fun with all the players. How does he do it? Why does he never ask why? Why is he not bitter? Should we play in front of him? These are all questions I have in my mind and then I wipe my tears and realize again that he is laughing and having fun. This is my son, my hero, Carl Riccio.

Thank you,
Peter J. Riccio

Update 8/12/2004

It has now been 18 months since Carl’s life was tragically changed by a terrible spinal cord injury. Of course not only has Carl’s life changed, but all of us that love and care for him have also had our lives transformed into something other than normal, and it would take much more than my vocabulary contains to explain it. Everything I do has some kind of reflection on Carl. I am sometimes inspired, worried, excited, sad, and just about every other emotion - including guilt when I am doing something that Carl cannot.

One thing I can say is that I love him more than I can explain. He is, as I said months ago, the wind beneath our wings. My wife and I are now consumed by the fact that he is now leaving for college in less than 2 weeks. I am scared and excited for him. I want everything to go perfectly, of course it will not. But he has a great support group including his brother, two cousins, and his assistant with him at Villanova, and of course his mother will never be too far away.

Carl is worried that students now will never know the real Carl Riccio, and I understand what he means. That big strapping athlete is no longer who he is, but on reflection, those years are very short and the real person we all are is in us at all times, no matter our physical attributes at any particular time in our life. It will be his personality that will define him, his heart, his goodness. The real challenge for him and all other handicapped people when it comes to the outside world is for the handicapped themselves to knock down all the barriers that make people look at him as different. Talk, smile, interact, go everywhere, don’t let anything be an obstruction to success.

These are the expectations I have for Carl. It will be much easier for Carl to retreat into a computer or other aspects of life that are in a handicaps comfort zone. The challenge is to go out to the basketball, football, and baseball games. Join some clubs and maybe even a fraternity. Make the world around him say wow, that’s Carl Riccio, he is involved in so much he is amazing.

Anyway these are my hopes. Not much different then all the other parents sending their son or daughter out to the next stage of life.

Carl continues his physical therapy and will do so at college. The world is changing daily and science tells us that stem cell research is the answer to dozens of medical problems including spinal cord injury. This is Carl’s real hope to walk and use his hands and the dozens of other things we all take for granted. We are encouraged by all the recent debate on stem cell research. Everyone that is against stem cell research must simply not understand the science. I can try and explain it, but there are much brighter people than me who could explain in much better detail the science behind stem cells. To me there is one necessary sentence to explain why stem cell research should go on and it should not even be a political issue.

STEM CELL RESEARCH DOES NOT STOP ANYONE FROM BEING BORN BUT IT DOES MAKE THE POSSIBILITY OF A CURE FOR DOZENS OF AILMENTS INCLUDING PARKINSONS, ALZHEIMERS, SPINAL CORD INJURY, HEART DISEASE, DIABETES, AND MORE A REAL POSSIBILITY IN OUR LIFETIME.

Maybe when Carl is graduating from Villanova, science will have a cure for SCI.

Once again, thank you for your continued interest in my son, Carl Riccio.

Thank you,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 7/08/2004

Once again I say thank you to everyone who is interested in Carl's progress. I am told dozens of times how people are touched by Carl and that they enjoy reading the updates. It is a tribute to Carl that so many people care about him and wish him well. This puts a certain amount of responsibility on Carl to live up to and exceed expectations that people have of him. I think this is a blessing. I want him to reach all his goals and become a role model for all of us who must climb a mountain of obstacles to succeed.

Carl graduated on June 16,2004. Everyone who spoke mentioned Carl. It was so touching to me that I could not keep my eyes dry. The last speaker, Dr. Thomas Diganci the principal of WHRHS said something like this: ”The administration, the teachers, the underclassmen and the graduates are better people because they got to know Carl Riccio...” With that they called up the first graduate - Carl - and the graduates and the hundreds in the stands all gave him a standing ovation. I can tell you my wife and I were touched deeply. It was a wonderful tribute by a great class, school, and community for a kid who is able to live life to the fullest despite the tragedy he has faced.

We have all looked at the handicapped and felt sorry for them. How could they live like that etc? I have a handicapped son and still ask that question everyday, and everyday I get the answer by watching Carl. He goes to every function, he tries everything, he received his handicapped license last week, he dances in his wheel chair, he gives speeches and adapts to many things that would make many of us never leave our room. How does he do it? Maybe the answer is he has no choice, or maybe he is special, maybe he is too naive to even think of giving up. He fights with me over how something is to be done or what he wants over what I want and I can tell you his strong willed personality is intact. You must have a strong argument to get Carl to change his direction. I think the strength of character that Carl possesses is the reason why he is so independent and inspiring.

Carl is spending most of the summer in Lavallette before leaving for Villanova on August 21st. He will continue to do his physical therapy no matter where he is so that when a cure is found his muscles will be ready. On July 19th and October 4th there will be golf outings to help pay for medical needs. Information is on this website.

Once again thank you for your interest in Carl. Please continue to pray for Carl and all the scientists who are working towards a cure for spinal cord injury. Everyday I read about what is happening in the world as far as research, drugs and clinical trials. I do not think my hope is unrealistic that my son will walk someday and when he does my life will be complete. In the meantime we have all of you, and that is more important than you can imagine.

Thank you,
Peter J. Riccio

Update 6/07/2004

It is now less than two weeks before Carl graduates from high school. As everyone else that moves on to a new stage of life, a certain amount of uncertainty and anxiety along with great anticipation go along with this right of passage. Carl will be doing so with just a little more anxiety then most. Carl’s greatest fear is that new people he meets will see him only as a quadriplegic and that it will be hard for them to get to know the real Carl - the athlete, the personality, and if I might add, that incredible heart of gold he has.

In response, I tell him that I agree with him. It will be his biggest obstacle and his greatest challenge. When he returned to Watchung Hills, he was loved and respected because of what kind of person he was before his injury - a big, strong, great athlete, who was humble to a fault and friends with a vast array of students and faculty. His personality bridged all social barriers. These facts made it so much easier for him to return to life as a student. As he has said, everyone at Watchung Hills knows the real Carl Riccio.

Now the biggest challenges are ahead for my beautiful young man. It will not be easy. We all remember going to college for the first time - excited, scared and just about every other emotion that a young person leaving home for the first time has. Then add to it this terrible tragedy that has made Carl a quadriplegic. How do we help Carl with his number one fear of people not knowing the person he was for 17 years? This I really do not have an answer for. I just tell Carl that for most of us, if faced with the same situation, the goal of having people know and accept us would be much harder than for him. He is beautiful, smart, good and has a personality that is second to none. It will be up to him to break down the barriers that he will encounter because of his handicap. He might have to take some personal beatings along the way, but my bet is he will prevail and four years from now he will be leaving Villanova with hundreds of friends better off because Carl Riccio touched their lives.

In the last few weeks Carl has been honored by the students and faculty of Watchung hills with a fundraising volleyball tournament as well as a 3 mile walk. Both events were fantastic and added funds to Carl’s medical care needs. Carl was also awarded the Optimist Club award for Wrestling and attended this fine event along with the other 29 recipients at Watchung hills.

Last night my wife(Tricia) and sister(Renee) attended RALLY FOR THE CURE in New York this event was the beginning of what we hope will be the end of spinal cord injury as we know it. The proceeds go to the Rutgers Collaborative Research Center for Spinal Cord Injury, lead by one of the greatest person I have ever met, one of Carl’s and thousands like him real hope, Dr. Wise Young. We hope last night was a success and I know Tricia and Renee were very excited at the showing.

Carl, his brothers and I went to the Pilot baseball game yesterday in North Plainfield. Carl met many players and coaches that he had played for over the years. The mayor of North Plainfield presented Carl with checks from many of the teams in the area. We want to thank Dan Battista and the Pilots for honoring Carl last Night.

Thank you for your interest in Carl. He is a remarkable person and I will continue to report on his life and progress as long as people care.

Thank you,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 5/13/2004

Once again I write to everyone who has been so kind to Carl and our family. We have all read and heard of others misfortunes and, while praying for them, added thank God it is not my son, daughter, etc. I hope no one ever has to endure a terrible tragedy like what has happened to Carl. But if you ever did I can only hope that the support of family, friends, teachers, classmates, athletes from all over the state and even the country, as well as just good people who care, are with you as they have been for Carl. Without all of you this situation would be even harder to accept and forge ahead.

I will ask Mike McCarey, who is the caretaker of this website, and my wife to see if they could get some pictures of Carl on the website. To Carol Ambrecht, our prayers are with you and your mother. Her suffering is over and I am sure she is in a better place.

I would just like to tell you how special a person I feel Carl is - or maybe most people in his situation would be like him - or maybe I just know I am not as good a person as he is and would be nothing like him. Over the last few weeks or so, all Carl’s friends have been starting the annual right of being a senior in the spring. We all remember it - the sun, the romances, cutting class, proms, parties and on and on. As an added bonus, Watchung Hills baseball team is special this year, not only with their record, but the players are the best young men you could put together, as are all Carl’s friends.

These kids - girls and boys - come to our home often. They play tennis, swim, play baseball, etc. My other sons, Shane and Tyler, participate as well. Everyone is having a good time and Carl is right there watching, talking, and laughing with them. I wish I could also be happy, but I cannot believe Carl is truly happy. So I always open my mouth and say something like “Carl I am sorry I wish you were playing, having fun, hitting homeruns, walking, running.” The answer I get is a terse reprimand – “stop thinking like that and lose weight you fat ass.”

He is truly remarkable. He is strong for me, and much stronger than me.

Thank you,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 4/20/2004

We are now in the middle of baseball season and Carl does not miss a game. When the Varsity and JV are home he is at the Varsity game, when the freshmen are home he is at their games. I go to the away game and Tricia goes to the home games. During the games I am in touch with Carl through his cell phone. If you could hear him report on the game, you would know why he was exceptional. He really knows the game. I hope somehow in the future he is able to teach and coach baseball. He will be great at it.

The past two weekends Watchung Hills honored Carl by holding a tournament in his name. It was once again an emotional and heartwarming affair. Carl said he will some day walk out to the mound and throw out the first pitch in the tournament named after him. I can’t wait.

I am in constant contact with many SCI research centers throughout the world, and the fact that their are many is, in itself, hopeful. Carl will be ready when something is found. He works hard daily to keep himself in shape.

Tricia, Carl and I spent Sunday at the Raritan center where they had the annual handicap expo. We learned of all the new technology that is available to make life better for the handicapped. Even at something like this, Carl never missed a beat. He was excited to learn everything he could and, as always, never showed one bit of self-pity.

The next few months will be exciting and scary. As all seniors, Carl will be moving from one phase of life to another. Tricia and I must step away from his side and let him go and grow. Like all parents, we will not go far. We will be in the shadows hoping he does not need us, but always at his side when he does.

Thank you,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 3/29/2004

The last few weeks have been, at times, so emotional that at I felt overwhelmed with what was going on with Carl. Yet Carl, as usual, handled everything with class and dignity. Carl was an excited fan and teammate when Alex Caruso, Mike Gatti and his brother Shane and cousin Roy Dragon participated in Atlantic City. When Mike won the ultimate goal of a state championship, Carl was as excited as if he had won it himself.

When Carl led the parade of champions before the finals, I finally could not handle it anymore. I left the arena and cried by myself. The fact that he could even participate to me was remarkable, but only those close to him can understand the remarkable sincerity that he participated with. Last night at the high school wrestling banquet, he thanked everyone for their support and remarked at what a great and happy time this year’s wrestling season was for him. To me he is amazing.

Carl continues to work hard on his physical therapy, and although he has not had any return of function, he is keeping all his muscles ready for the future, which we hope is not far away with the passage of the stem cell bill in New Jersey. Tricia and Carl have been working on helping Governor McGreevey, and other stem cell proponents, to jump start the funding of research in New Jersey that will help thousands with many ailments from spinal cord injuries, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and many more debilitating diseases. Last week Carl and his mother were invited to the Governor’s mansion for breakfast with the Governor and other leading proponents of stem cell research. Carl had a great time, and he feels that Governor McGreevey is a sincere and honest visionary, who really cares about his fellow citizens. We as a family have never been politically oriented but since it seems that stem cell research is a political issue, I can tell you that Carl and his family ask the question WHY? If Carl, and thousands like him, could live a normal life because of stem cell research, how could anybody deny them... well enough of that.

Carl now goes to as many baseball practices as he can and looks forward to the high school season. He, needless to say, is Watchung Hills greatest fan. We went to the game the other day. It was quite an experience for me. Carl broke down everyone’s swing, gave out tips to his friends and teammates, and analyzed everyone’s performance as though he was a seasoned old scout. It was great for me. I enjoyed hearing his input on the game.

We will continue to hope and pray for a cure for Carl. We appreciate all of Carl’s supporters who continue to pray for him and wish him well. In less than three months Carl and all his classmates will graduate and move on to new challenges. Carl might have a few more obstacles than most, but I think he has been given some special attributes that will give him the ability to overcome almost anything.

Thank you,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 3/12/2004

The year anniversary has come and gone. Life goes on. For me, there is constant sadness, yet constant hope. All of the people who know of Carl and care for him have made life better. Carl’s personality and attitude remain remarkable. I watch him interact with his teammates, friends and brothers and wonder - is he for real? He is a coach, a mentor and a friend to his friends and brothers in a way that is so sincere, I do not understand.

Wrestling season is coming to an end and Carl is already making plans to attend as many baseball practices and games that he can. But before that, he will be at Atlantic City this weekend watching dozens of young men, that he grew up with, striving for goals that they have worked so hard their whole lives for, and no matter where they end up, everyone of them are successful, and we wish them luck.

I will watch my son, Shane, and nephew, Roy, and the 100 others I have grown to know in the wrestling circles that will be in AC, but the thought of Carl and what he is missing and going through will always be the main focus of my brain. I cannot help that. And in reality, I do not even know if I would want it any other way until he is walking again. I can tell you he works harder trying to get strong than anyone I know. I hope some day I can write of some physical advances in Carl’s body, but until that day comes, I just thank God Carl is who he is and pray he stays that way.

This weekend Carl will be in Section 105 in AC. He loves to meet the people who care about him...stop by.

Thank you,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 2/19/2004

This weekend is the anniversary of our worst nightmare. On 2/22/03 my life as I knew it stopped. A new life of crying, searching, praying and hoping began. I always said to my family I am the happiest person on the face of the earth, despite all my physical and mental handicaps. Now I find myself sad and depressed on a regular basis. The thing that I have not lost is the faith and hope that Carl will some day be able to use his hands and legs and live a normal life.

When I got out to the mat that day, my beautiful, strong, athletic son looked me in the eyes and said “Dad, I can’t move anything” and tears ran down his face. At that moment I knew my life was different. That moment is with me every night, it never changes, I wake up crying. I had to hold it together. My youngest boys were there and were panicked and crying. My wife and older kids were on the other side of the country at Peter Jr.’s (Villanova) opening of the baseball season. I am not the strong one in my family, that distinction goes to Tricia. Getting her back with us was a priority, but it took over eight long grueling hours. That was how our new life began. My wife eventually got to the hospital and has led us through this turbulent year.

When looking back, I can tell you that without the support of everyone that has read this website, written letters, prayed for Carl, sent food, cards, words of inspiration and sent donations, my family would not be where we are today. Life’s normal everyday occurrences lead us to be somewhat selfish and self centered. This is inevitable since we live in a society that makes us competitive from the time we can run. We compete at sports, school, job, love and just life itself. But I can tell you that when tragedy strikes, the human spirit is goodness and it overpowers everything else. I do not want to name everyone, for I might leave somebody out and it would take me all day. I can only say thank you to everyone who has touched Carl’s life, and by that ours, and we will be forever grateful.

Carl cannot play baseball, wrestle, surf, golf or just go run on the beach, but his personality and will have not changed at all. He does everything he can. I know people feel uncomfortable when they see him, but just go up to him and start talking. You will forget he is handicapped. The future for Carl is hopeful as far as physical abilities are concerned. The future for Carl as a successful father, businessman and important and successful member of society is without doubt.

This past Monday we met with Dr. Wise Young(Rutgers Collaborative Research Center for Spinal Cord Injury). Tricia, Carl and I have been planning a trip to China this June to receive an operation that has helped some patients with SCI. We went to make our final decision on going. After hours with Dr. Young and his assistant, Dr. Patricia Morton, we made a unanimous decision to postpone our trip for one year. Although Carl and I were both a little down after postponing the trip since we have been looking forward to making some progress through this operation, the real truth is that what we heard from Dr. Young was so encouraging that we hope next May the operation, combined with other drugs and hormones that Dr. Young is researching now, will be much better than it is now.

Once again, I thank everyone that cares about Carl. You have been remarkable. I will continue to post messages on this website for as long as it is here. Carl’s life will be an open book because so many people have written chapters in it.

Thank you, Carl reads every email.
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 2/02/2004

Once again I want to thank everyone for their prayers, letters, thoughts and donations. Tragedy brings out the best in people and we are certainly seeing that in Carl's situation. Everyone has been so supportive. Carl enjoys talking to well wishers at all the wrestling matches, he is open to everyone. I truly believe the fact he is involved with the wrestling team, and his brothers participation, has been a huge blessing. Soon baseball season will start and I am sure he will have a similar experience.

Carl's schedule includes about 4 hours a day of physical therapy. One aspect of therapy is electrical stimulation. I believe that the Ergys machine which stimulates Carl's legs to ride a stationary bike, and the Bioflex suit that gives Carl the ability to contract almost all the muscles that are paralyzed, are breakthroughs in spinal cord therapy that will give SCI patients the ability to keep their body ready for the cure. I want to thank both these companys for existing, and hope they will continue to find products to help the paralyzed.

Carl will walk some day, he will be physically whole. I do not know when or how, but I know it will happen. Tricia and I will live our lives for this pupose and when it happens we will have all of you to thank - all of Carl's new and old friends that keep all of our spirits high.

Thank you,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 1/19/2004

I woke up this morning and went to Carl's room, where he was beginning another day of living with paralysis. His mother and an assistant were stretching him. I have had nightmares almost daily. Vivid images of Carl being hurt, crying, anguishing beyond what parents can take. For some reason today was different. January 19th, 2004 was the first day I did not have a nightmare. I had a dream. This sounds so unbelievable, but it is true. Today, when I went to greet Carl, Barbara and my wife, I told them of my dream. In it, Carl was taking steps with the help of supports and canes. My wife said this is Martin Luther King Day and of course we all think of his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Just the day before, Pat Murray, a friend and great supporter of Carl’s, visited Dan Paltjon, another friend and fellow paralysis patient. Pat told me of the great news that Dan was making in his effort to walk, strapping on two by fours on one leg and using the other and his arms to walk.

Maybe this great news of Danny, or maybe the spirit of Dr. MLK, or maybe a little bit of both, triggered this dream. Whatever it was, it was great. Hope is the prescription for the mind and spirit, and Carl’s new life is the embodiment of hope and determination. I am sure all who pray and care about Carl will be rewarded someday when you see him and he makes you smile and you walk a way with a little tear and a big smile.

Thank you for your continued support.

Love,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 1/06/2004

I would like to wish everyone a happy and healthy new year. You who continue to support Carl and my family, have been instrumental in our attempt to continue our lives and pursue all of life's dreams. At times, in the last ten months, these dreams seemed unattainable. But I am sure, in no small part, because of the prayers and support of hundreds out there, we have learned to go on.

We were at the Kessler Institute on Sunday for the signing of the stem cell bill by Governor McGreevey. I believe that this is the beginning of the end of many medical problems. The scientific community has been asking for this bill and now they have it. I implore them to put all their efforts into research to see if the hope we all have, because of the passage of this bill, can be turned into cures for thousands who suffer debilitating diseases.

Carl continues to work hard at his class work as well as physical therapy. He attends wrestling practice and fulfills his role as one of the captains of the wrestling team. Anyone who sees Carl at any event, please feel free to come and introduce yourself, he loves to meet people and you will find he will make you feel at ease.

Carl was accepted into Villanova University, his number one choice. We are extremely proud to say Carl will be attending Villanova in the fall of 2004 and I am positive that he will make Villanova proud that they have him.

In the next few months Carl will be challenged with many new experiences and some emotional dates, 1/22 - his first birthday since injury, 2/22 - one year since injury, wrestling matches and baseball games from a wheel chair, and a possible trip to China for an operation that although not a cure, has some promise as to some help. There was a time that these things scared me, made me anxious and depressed, but not any more. Carl has proven to me that whatever it takes, we will go on, we will survive. He will succeed in life for the next 70 years as he has in his first seventeen, this I have no doubt.

Thank you for your continued interest and support.

Love,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 12/20/2003

Once again, thank you for your continued support of Carl. Today is the day before the opening of wrestling season. It is certainly a hard day for me. Our family will be at CBA tomorrow(Saturday) rooting for Watchung Hills, Shane and Tyler. But my eyes will always be on Carl asking what is going through his head? How can he take it? A year ago this week he got the letter that he had made junior All-American in baseball and then went out and won most outstanding wrestler at CBA. These are the thoughts that as a parent, we should try to avoid, but I just have not figured out how yet.

Carl goes to wrestling practice almost everyday, he has over 4 hours of physical therapy daily and a full workload at school, yet he doesn’t miss a thing. He is tough and demanding of himself and those around him. The passing of the stem cell bill just adds legitimacy to his hard work. As his father who watches what he goes thru on a daily basis, I believe he will be one of the first spinal cord injured people to be cured. If he is not, the journey he is on will still bring him success and happiness, and after all, isn’t that what we all strive for?

Over the next few weeks Carl and our family will go through some emotional times. Athletically, of course, this will be the first year without wrestling. First the CBA tournament and then the counties, where Carl would be going for his fourth title in a row, and, of course, much more importantly, it will be the first holiday season since our lives have been so drastically changed.

Somehow Carl will get me and my family through it and we will be stronger than ever. Please have a happy and healthy holiday season.

Thank you,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 12/19/2003

We want to thank everyone who worked so hard on the stem cell bill, especially Renee Springhorn, Carl’s aunt. She has been working on getting the message to our assemblymen for 6 months. The opposition to the bill became so ridiculous, and the misinformation they implied was so ghoulish, that those who knew the truth about the stem cell bill became so worked up that they worked even harder.

Carl’s mother, sister and Aunt Linda were in Trenton for the vote. At one point they became so upset with the speech of one assemblymen against the bill, that they stood up and voiced their disgust and were almost escorted out. I have no doubt that their being at the vote put us over the top. GREAT JOB!!

The hope now is that since the greatest medical research state in the US has opened their pocket books to stem cell research, we will shortly see if stem cells are the answer to many medical problems facing all of us such as parkinson’s, alzheimer’s, diabetes and spinal cord injury.

Research is just what it implies: spend the money, experiment with the cells and see if it works. What all of us can do is hope and pray that it does. In the mean time, no one will be hurt, no lives will be lost because of stem cell research, no people will be cloned, and no human parts factories will be built. The truth finally came to the forefront. Maybe only by 51% of the vote, but the results, we hope, will help 100%.

Governor Jim McGreevey will be at the Kessler Institute, West Orange, NJ on Sunday January 4th at 2:00 PM to sign into law the new stem cell bill. Carl Riccio and Tricia Riccio have been invited as special guests to witness the signing of hope. Anyone is welcome to attend.

Thanks for everyone’s help and interest,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 11/27/2003

First we want to wish everyone a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. When tragedy hits your family the emotions that surround you run the gamut from hate and despair to hope and resolve. The fact that Carl is handling his situation better than I could imagine is definitely helpful and healing.

Another part of my healing process is philosophizing over him, my family, and life itself. Some very hard days are ahead for Carl and our family. Wrestling begins this Friday and to explain what that sport does to a family is hard if they are not wrestlers. Although Carl’s main sport was baseball, when wrestling started he was 100% a wrestler. It was in our blood, as important a part of our lives as anything else. I have agonized over the fact that I still have two sons wrestling and every workout, every match, every tournament will be an emotional nightmare. Carl’s dreams of winning four counties, regions and state medals are always on my mind and I worry how my family, and especially Carl, handles the emotional pain that will definitely be at every match.

I realize how ridiculous this must sound when we are talking about someone who cannot even move his hands, but it is there and to deny it would be wrong. Parents live vicariously through their kids and I am definitely guilty. Athletics are with us for a short time and the pleasure we receive from watching our kids succeed in sports is priceless.

I am sure Carl will make it through the emotional days ahead: the first wrestling practice, the first match, the counties, where Carl had remarkable success, postseason etc. He will make our family proud, he will make us cry, he will show me class and dignity that few have, and the pleasure we receive from watching him succeed in life will be priceless.

Thank you,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 11/16/2003

I know that I am repetative at times in my updates on Carl, but I can not help but continue to thank everyone who reads this forum. Everyone in my family reads every letter. We mostly keep our emotions to our self but one thing is for sure, through our tears, we are all so grateful to all whose words and prayers honor Carl. The fact is that many of you do not even know Carl, but I can assure you he is so good that I am embarassed when people give me credit for how he is. I hope something I did helped guide him to be such a good person because it certainly was not through example.

Carl's grandmother passed last week,she was a tough and good person who had a very tough life. She had 8 kids that she brought up by herself and suffered with diabetes that ravaged her body. I knew her for over 25 years and never once heard her complain about her life no matter how tough things got. Grandma promised me on more than one occasion that she would talk to someone in heaven who could do something for Carl. He is so much like his grandmother, he has never complained about the fate he has endured over the last 9 months. I believe that if anyone could get through, her faith and persistance will get the job done.

Carl works so hard on all his rehabilitation and if God just gave him the slightest impulse through a nerve to a muscle, he will get that muscle strong and functional. Four months ago we were so depressed when we found out that he was not eligible for an experimental procedure to repair the peripheral nerve in Carl's left bicep. At the time he had no movement at all in his left arm, but they said they felt a twinge deep and ever so slight, and therefore he was not eligible for the experimental operation. We decided that if it is in there, we must work hard to get it functional. We were not really given much hope of this but Carl has worked so hard that on November 18th the joystick on his wheelchair is being moved from his right arm to his left. With this, his left arm will be considered functional and although he might take a few weeks to control things as good as he does now, you know he will.

Tricia and I live our lives to help Carl, and eventually to see him cured. I am sad every day, and thoughts of what he is missing and how he would be are with me on a daily basis. I know this will never go away but I can tell you more and more I look at him and my family and I am so proud they are so good and so strong and Carl is the reason this is possible. He is so strong and so good, he is a natural leader and definately the heart of our family. Thank you again, Carl's friends, teachers and extended family, and everyone who reads and writes on this website. Your support is what has gotten us this far.

Thank you,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 11/03/2003

Carl got some good news recently scoring over 1300 on his SATs. We were all holding our breath as the scores were read to us over the phone. We feel that with Carl's GPA and his SAT scores, he should be a good candidate for most colleges.

We are working out most of our daily routines and Carl adjusts well to everything. The bad days are those that Carl is sick, which is one of the added burdens of spinal cord injury.

Carl's grandmother is very sick and will not live long. We talked to her yesterday and she told us that number one on her agenda when she leaves this earth and gets a chance to speak to the powers that be, is to ask for some special attention for Carl and if God sees fit, to cure him as fast as possible.

Sports have been a big part of Carl's life, and wrestling a big part of his sporting life. We are in for a lot of emotional days ahead with his two brothers wrestling on the same team Carl was a member of when he was injured. We were at Phillipsburg the other day for Shane and Tyler's first match of the preseason. It was very emotional. The three of us sat in that special lockeroom at Phillipsburg and cried tears of sorrow that our brother,child and leader was not with us for the first time in over ten years.

We will have many more days like that, but we will go on and Carl will continue to help our family survive and thrive.

Thank you,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 10/17/2003

It is always great to read all the emails to Carl. Our family is continually heartened by the endless support. Life generally is not easy, and the unexpected roadblocks can be unbearable. I must thank all of Carl's friends and faculty at Watchung Hills. They have made a very difficult situation better. Once again I must tell you Carl is so special, I cannot imagine a person dealing with his situation any better than him.

My wife lives her life for Carl, and the fact is that the general working public could never understand that "a few days" is an eternity when an elevator, a van, a wheel chair or a hospital bed is broken. This week alone all of these things have been broken and Carl's mom fought for action and although frustrating she gets it done. On the bright side, Carl's hard work is definately making him stronger. He is hoping to be able to use a power assisted manual wheel chair called the I-GLIDE. We will soon be testing it out.

Carl is a big Yankee fan and along with his two brothers, shane and tyler, we had a great night watching the ghost of Babe Ruth help the Yankees to the American League Championship. I cherish those times when Carl is his old self, commanding the room with his expertise and laughter.

Carl was presented with a great honor last week being voted Mr. Watchung Hills. More than a couple of people expressed their amazement that Carl was able to go through the whole process and not be embarassed because of his handicap. I do not say this to belittle these thoughts, because I have them everyday. This is one of the reasons that Carl is able to go on and amaze everyone, he knows that he should never be embarassed because of a handicap. On the contrary, you must be more ourtgoing, more oblivious to the worlds misgivings. Live life to the fullest, miss nothing, do everything. This is Carl, I see it everyday. We could not be more proud.

Thank you,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 10/02/2003

The saying goes, time heals all wounds. I certainly hope so. I know that because Carl has been so tremendous through this whole mess. He has given me the strength to repress the feelings of anxiety and depresssion that comes when dwelling on what he is missing, can't do, or what he would be doing if he hadn't been injured.

We are going on. Our home is still a mess, but we finally have the elevator in and working. This gives Carl the freedom to go anywhere in our home by himself. We have purchased many exercise machines for our home so that we can keep Carl physically strong and ready for the future cure. Carl approaches his therapy sessions just like he approached his baseball and wrestling workouts. He is a master of all the machines and is a perfectionist in their use. We are now getting his schedule worked out so each exercise is mapped out and shortly we will have all Carl's therapy sessions and workouts scheduled like a well oiled machine.

Carl's friends are tremendous, they are always over and include Carl in everything. His brothers, Shane and Tyler, are amazing in that they help Carl without even a hint of anxiety. Carl, Shane and Tyler, despite the age difference, have always been extremely close, and for Tricia and I, this is a source of happiness. I would love to record Carl giving Shane and Tyler a wrestling or hitting lesson. For me, I could not be more proud of all of them.

Tim Case, a fellow patient at Kessler, has just had an operation in China. The hope is that it will return some function. We are in constant contact with Tim and two other Americans that have just had the operation. Needles to say, we are all excited for them and the fact that if succesful, Carl will be on a future plane to China. This is not a cure, but a first step, and we are greatful for the doctor in China as well as the American patients who are paving the way for Carl and hundreds like him.

Once again, we thank everyone for their interest in Carl, he is truly the wind beneath our wings.

Thank you,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 9/22/2003

I just got finished reading the emails, poems and well wishers on Carl's site, and once again, I must wipe the tears from my eyes. Everyone is so good to my son and so supportive. We need you, your thoughts and your prayers.

Life is tough, Carl is my life. To watch him go through life this way is both inspiring and depressing. We need a cure. The fact that people are having surgeries in other parts of the world for spinal cord injuries is encouraging and the fact that the US is not leading this effort with the proper stem cell legislation is ridiculous.

The golf tourney run by Jose Rivera, Denise Cappuccio and Tim Shalcross was great. Carl had a good time and was able to speak a little at the outing, expressing his thanks to everyone as well as his resolve to work hard so he can be cured some day.

We are still getting settled in at WHRHS(high school). Juggling school, physical therapy, homework and a social life is a challenge, and as usual, Carl is well up to it.

To be happy again, I know I must not dwell on what Carl is missing, or what he would look like, how big he would be, how far he would hit a baseball and so on and so on. I hope some day I will be able to say I have accomplished this, but until then we will continue to do everything humanly possible to help Carl live a full life.

My wife and I thank all of you for giving our son the words, prayers and stories of encouragement on this website. They help us just as much as Carl.

Thank you once again,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 9/07/2003

So many things have happened since the last time I left an update on Carl and his family. The biggest, and most important, is that he is now attending high school with all his friends at Watchung Hills. All his friends, teachers and administration have been totally committed to helping Carl and his family reach this goal and make it successful for Carl. I can tell you Tricia and I are so thankful to everyone at Watchung Hills who have made Carl's return to school successful.

The stress on a family in this situation is hard to explain. Along with all the problems that go along with this injury and the mental stress that goes with it, there is this feeling of complete helplessness when dealing with health care manufacturers. We ordered an elevator for our home in May but it is still not in. We ordered a van so that Carl could get around and it was supposed to be done in July but we just got it last week. I could go on and on, but these things will eventually be ironed out and we will settle into some kind of routine.

Through everything, Carl has kept his remarkable spirit. I sometimes believe he does a lot of faking around me because of my depression. I do know that on occasion he starts crying when someone asks him about his previous atheletic accomplishments and what he wants to do in the future. One thing that has not changed is that he still wants to go to Villanova next year with his cousins and brother. Even when he had his pick of colleges due to baseball, his first choice was Villanova. I will soon start the process to make this possible and if anyone can help, we would appreciate it.

Today, 9/7, Tricia and I just got Carl off with his three brothers and two friends to Giants Stadium to watch the Giants first game. The Giants gave Carl 2 tickets and I purchased 4 more. Carl will be asking friends to go with him to all Giant home games that he can attend. I know he was happy this morning. I hope all goes well. I want to thank the Giants and Mr. Gorman for making this possible and, of course, Denise Cappuccio who continues to do things for Carl that are remarkable.

Tricia, Carl and I, along with his uncles Bob, Craig, Frank and aunt Renee, all attended the open house at Rutgers on Friday to introduce us to Dr. Huang and his procedure that has helped patients in China, Beijing, get some results, not a cure, but some additional function through Olfactory Stem Cell transplantation. We were encouraged. I, of course, am scared of any operation, but we must be willing to take reasonable risks to get better. We know a man from Kessler who is going this month to China for this operation and if all goes well and his improvement is significant, we will seriously consider Carl for this surgery next summer.

On September 15, at the National Golf Course in Basking Ridge, Jose Rivera and Tim Shalcross are hosting a golf event for Carl. Carl will be at the event driving around the golf course and, at the dinner, he will be one of the speakers. We thank everyone who is involved with this and all other events for Carl and, of course, please keep praying and emailing Carl. People are good, generous and inspirational, and Carl needs and appreciates both economic, social and spiritual support.

Thank you.

Love,
Peter and Tricia

Update 8/21/2003

It will be six months tomorrow, 8/22/03, that my sons life changed and with that accident, our entire family's, both immediate and extended, have also changed. Life has been hell for me. Not one day has gone by that I have not shed a tear over this tragedy. I have just left Carl's remodeled room in Warren. The last time Carl saw his room he was a 6 foot 1 inch, 192 pound, beautiful young man, both in mind and body.

I wish these terrible thoughts and depression would go away. I think sometimes I am selfish because I want to see him compete and reach his goals of becoming state champ in wrestling, as well as a major leauge baseball player. He rarely shows me this kind of attitude. He is almost always upbeat and ready to learn what he could do and do it. Carl has always amazed me in his resolve to be the best at whatever he was focused on. But still, so many new things are coming up. Moving back to our home, going back to school, dealing with his friends, classmates and teachers from a wheel chair. He will not have that aura of strength and self assurance that comes with a physically strong top athlete.

I do have to hang my hat on the fact that he will still have that UNBELIEVABLE PERSONALITY, that never tiring work ethic, and hopefully, the continuing support of all his friends at Watchung Hills, the atheletic department and coaches, along with the faculty and administration. They have been truly remarkable. Carl has a large family. His brothers and sisters, his grandparents, his over 30 aunts and uncles and 40 cousins, have truly been remarkable. Every one of them have been involved in Carl's recovery process and will be invaluable in the future.

I have been there since the first minute of Carl's injury and I can tell you I would do anything to reverse that injury. I know Carl knows that. He also knows where the real strength is in our family. The person that never misses any personal need of Carl. The person who is strong when everyone else, especially myself, is weak. That person of course is his mother, Tricia. Without her, our family would be in shambles. She has pulled us through this six months, and she will lead us through whatever obstacle is ahead of our family, and for that I am truly grateful. My name may be Peter, but Tricia is my rock.

I also want to thank the Kessler Institute in West Orange and the Shriners Hospital in Philadelphia for being there and helping my son. The state of the art rehabilitation they supply gives me hope for a recovery and better life for Carl. I must thank the media, begining with Michele Marsh from NBC, Matt Dowling and Conrad from the Star Ledger, Harry Frezza from the Courier News, Bob Valvano from ESPN radio(we will never give up), Chris Russell from the Sporting News, Jack Arute from ABC, Ann Ligouri from WFAN, Branden Tierney from ESPN radio, and many more thruought the country. We appreciate all of you. Getting out Carl's story has been great spiritually, as well as helping spinal cord injury awareness. Also the donations will help Carl get the proper care he needs without financially bankrupting his family.

Last but not least we want to thank all of you well wishers. People who heard about Carl and took the time to send him a note, email, donation or prayer. I can tell you that this website has done more for Carl and his family then most of you can understand. I get on the website and, through my tears, read every message. Your emails and letters are inspiring and the prayers and masses will, I believe, be answered.

It has now been six months and you have all helped my son and his family through this impossible tragedy. We hope that you will continue to follow Carl's progress and write, pray and support Carl through the many years of recovery ahead. Carl now has voice activated software and reads the website regularly.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Peter J Riccio, Tricia Riccio and Family

Update 8/16/2003

It is Saturday, August 16th and Carl is still sleeping. It was a long day yesterday for him. He went and watched his brothers, cousins, and uncles play golf, or a least try to play golf (Uncle Paul). He had a great time laughing at his Uncle Paul as he lost about 30 golf balls in the woods and lakes. Then last night he played poker with his cousins, friends, and brothers. I think he ended up losing because he came to watch t.v. with me and hour later.

Being able to watch my brother do what he can and enjoy it is the greatest feeling in the world. You don't know what is going through his head all the time but just by watching him these past few months get stronger and stronger each day is amazing. I'm telling you the kid doesn't miss a trick. He might not physically be able to do everything, but he is always there adding in his opinion or comments.

Everytime I look at my brother it amazes me. I don't understand how a person with his injury is able to do the things he does. It has got to be his great spirit and will to go on and overcome this horrible injury. He not only touches our lives, but also so many peoples lives all over the world.

I would just like to take the time to give a special thanks to Patriots Stadium and all the people who helped put that event together for sponsoring the August 9th game in Carl's name. It was a fantastic night for Carl and my whole family. I would also like to thank ESPN talk radio for talking about Carl's story. The response we got from people at Patriot's stadium and from so many of the ESPN listeners was very inspiring. It is so great to know that Carl's story is still being told so we can educate people on spinal chord injuries. Also, thank you to our family, friends, and the many other people who continue to pray and help us each day.

Love,
Kerry and The Riccio Family

Update 8/07/2003

Carl continues to go on and learn new things. We continue to go to therapy each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. He is playing cards and board games, and enjoys all the friends and well wishers who come to see him in Lavalette.

The computer software that allows Carl to use the computer with speech activation is truly remarkable. It takes a while to get the kinks out, but he really seems to enjoy reading all of your messages and speaking to everyone on the internet.

Carl recently stayed over his cousins house for a night. He really enjoyed being away and doing something new. Carl is amazing. He is rarely down and always ready to work hard to reach his goals. He wants to walk, but he wants so much more. The more I am around him, the more I realize how lucky I am to have him.

Carl will be at Patriot Stadium on Saturday 8/9. We appreciate the invitation the Patriots extended to Carl and all his friends and well wishers. We once again thank everyone for all the prayers, messages and donations. They are so uplifting. I think Carl will walk someday. I am POSITIVE he will be successful. His spirit and love for life equal success.

--- Peter & Tricia Riccio

Update 7/23/2003

Carl and I, along with his two brothers Tyler and Shane, just came back from Shriners Hospital in Philadelphia for some Electrical Stimulation Therapy. Shriners is a remarkable place. They help all children with orthopedic or spinal cord problems and they are a non profit hospital which means a lot to many of the families with children there.

Carl is doing as well as can be expected. He is happy to read everything sent to him and appreciates everything being done on his behalf. Carl truly enjoys going to his brothers baseball games. He analyzes them and tells them what he thinks. People who know Carl can sympathize with his brothers, because Carl is a perfectionist and he will let them know their misgivings.

I do not know how a person adapts mentally to such a horriffic life altering event, but Carl seems to be adapting well. As a parent the nightmare never goes away 24 hours a day, yet I could not be more proud of Carl if he was an NCAA wrestling champ or made it onto the Yankees. As the song goes, he is truly the wind beneath my wings. Thank you.

--- Peter & Tricia Riccio

Update 7/14/2003

Carl is now with his family in Lavalette. Like everything new, he has had his ups and downs getting used to a new environment in his present condition. Kessler is a great facility, and we were lucky enough to get the greatest doctor for Carl's condition(Kirshblum), but being home with his family and friends is definately the right thing for him. We have the ability and time to continue his therapy as outpatients.

We once again thank everyone for thinking and praying for Carl, and for all fundraising efforts, they are truly appreciated. Our focus the last month has been on getting Carl home and that took a lot of time and effort. We will now continue our efforts at searching for a cure for Carl.

Carl continues to be upbeat and willing to try and learn anything. Tricia and I are extremely proud of our beautiful son and I have no doubt that in the future he will bring us nothing but happiness, no matter what his physical condition.

--- Peter & Tricia Riccio

Update 7/05/2003

I am sorry to report that Carl was not a candidate for the experimental operation in Philadelphia at Shriners Hospital. I must admit it was a very traumatic experience for Carl and his family. We were hoping for this to give Carl function in his left bicep but it just did not work out.

We will continue our search for Carl. I can not explain how much he means to me and how much we are suffering for him. We must now find new things in his life to give him the strength to go on and be successful in his present situation. It will take time but we will be successful.

Carl is truly one of a kind. He is so special. You would have to be around him to understand. Maybe it's his friends, or his large family, or all of you out there who give him greetings, prayers, love, donations and emails, but most of all it's just Carl. That maturity(way over his years), his attitude, along with that beautiful innocence that keeps us going and makes us love him more than I can explain.

Thanks to everyone.

--- Peter & Tricia Riccio

Update 6/29/2003

Once again Carl and his family are so thankful for everything people are doing for us. Every email letter prayer and donation is appreciated.

I would like to tell everyone to look at their catastrophic coverage that their insurance provides for. Insurance and money issues are a very big part of the pressures on a family when someone gets injured as Carl has. We had a meeting last week to go over Carl's outpatient care, and just the physical therapy at Kessler will cost $150 per 45 minute session. Four sessions a day at $150 each comes to $600 dollars a day. I could not believe it. Then we find out that the insurance pays for only 30 sessions (30 - 45 minute sessions -- less than 8 days). This is just one of the many fights you have to endure when a loved one especially a child gets injured.

This week we have two big things happening in Carl's long road to recovery. First we are going to Shriners Hospital tomorrow(6/30) to see if an experimental operation could help Carl get his left bicep back(functional). This is something we have been looking forward to, and I pray they tell us he is a candidate. Second Carl will be coming home from Kessler on July 3rd to begin his life outside of a hospital again. His family, friends, teachers, caregivers and all his new friends out in the world are now a part of his life. With your help, he will continue to be an uplifting personality through good times and bad.

As many have said, Carl is truly remarkable. Most of his time this summer will be spent in Lavalette, NJ since our home in Warren is not ready for him. Tricia and I will do everything possible for Carl, and we want to thank everyone for the donations. They are certainly helping our family get Carl what is needed to keep him a viable candidate for future spinal cord research.

I hope to get some good news from the doctors in Philadelphia this week and post it later this week.

Thanks for everything.

--- Peter & Tricia Riccio

Update 6/18/2003

I have just cleared my eyes after reading all the beautiful emails for Carl and my family. Believe me without all of you throughout the country, it would be even worse than it already is.

Carl will never give up his fight to improve both his injury as well as his quality of life. Our family will be with him forever, I had no doubt about that. What we did not expect is this unbelievable outpouring of support for Carl. Believe me, it is well appreciated and is very cathartic.

We look forward to going to Philadelphia on 6/30 to see if Carl is a candidate to have an experimental operation. It may get back motion in his left bicep, a muscle that he should have but doesn't, due to peripheral damage outside the spinal cord.

We also want to thank everyone who is helping out with fundraising and everyone who has donated. It will be used to give Carl the best life possible while searching for a cure. We, as his parents, continue to be amazed at his remarkable attitude. He is rarely depressed and is still inspirational to everyone who visits him.

We will soon have our house ready for his return. We will then have new challenges for my beautiful son, and he will help us meet and conquer them, as he has all other challenges in his seventeen years.

Thank you.

--- Peter & Tricia Riccio

Update 6/04/2003

Once again we will try to express our heartfelt thanks for everything people are doing for Carl. The emails and letters are encouraging, informative and inspirational. Keep the prayers coming maybe the volume has not reached high enough, we are still waiting for spiritual intervention.

We read every day of possible future cures for spinal cord injury, we can only support all these scientist with proper legislation (stem cell legisalation) as well as financial support.

As for the dinner on May 27, it was great. The support Carl and our family recieved was amazing. Everyone who worked to make that night what it was, we are eternally grateful.

The amount of money that it costs to give Carl what is necessary for a life that will include dignity and independence, as well as the best medically, will run into millions. As is the case in all catastrophic injuries, insurance pays for what they think is necessary for life. Our son will get what is necessary for a productive, independent and happy life. Besides a cure, this is what we as Carl's parents now live for. That is why we accept and appreciate all donations on behalf of Carl. Once again we are grateful.

I just want to mention some immediate functions that will be happening in the next 10 days.

Bobby Thompson will be at Sports Minded, Warren, NJ,(thank you Brian Leboeuf) to sign balls for Carl and Chris also paralyzed, between 1 and 3 PM on Saturday June 7th.
On 6/14 in Pennsauken, NJ, 856-661-9999, Tom Loperfido, owner of Spa and Fitness Center, will have a day of activities for Carl's cause.

We thank you all.

Carl's spirits are good. He does have some days of depression and that is understandable, but on a whole he is remarkable in his resolve to do all the therapies and learn how to do everything he can at his present state. His doctor at Kessler, Steve Kirshblum, has found that Carl has some peripheral damage in his left arm to a nerve. It's not working, but should be. He is now looking into a special surgeon, who will examine Carl to see if he is a candidate for surgery. If so, the doctors will perform an operation to get movement in Carl's left bicep back. We are anxiously awaiting the decision.

We will leave no stone unturned. All the support we get from family, friends and the general public is invaluable.

Once again, thank you from Carl and his family.

--- Peter & Tricia Riccio

Update 5/28/2003

Once again, on behalf of Carl and our family, Tricia and I want to thank everyone for the letters, e-mails, prayers, donations and just pure love shown for Carl in his time of need. The true human spirit has been shown to us and we will never forget it. Our entire family will benefit from the love we have received from thousands of people.

I would like to thank Michele Marsh (NBC-4) for the wonderful piece she did on Carl. It was truly wonderful.

The event yesterday was special, and I will talk about it on this forum within a few days.

Thank you from Carl and his family.

--- Peter & Tricia Riccio

Update 5/16/2003

I cannot explain how great it is for Carl and his family to hear from everyone on this website as well as through other kinds of media. These are tough times for Carl. The spinal cord regulates so many things in your body, so you must constantly battle new ailments.

As you may know, each spinal cord injury is different, and even though the injury can be at the same site, (c4 or t6, etc.) the amount of damage done varies tremendously. Sadly, Carl has a very severe injury. However he will continue do anything necessary to improve his situation. His strength is in his resolve that no matter how long it takes, his body will be ready for the cure that we know is coming.

We will continue to get Carl all the latest in therapy, machines, medical doctors, facilities and cutting edge science that will someday cure him. We are a proud family and would never accept unnecessary help for any reason. But on Carl's behalf, we accept, and appreciate, all donations that are given to his trust.

Carl's road ahead will be extremely difficult. He must go on with his life, as well as keep every muscle, tendon, ligamint and joint ready for the time that medical science can end his quest for a complete cure. While this time may be stressfull, emotinally draining and economically challenging, your prayers, words and donations are more helpful than you can imagine.

If you read this website you will understand how great the human spirit really is. When I read his leters, I cannot keep my eyes dry. I hope to see many of you at Carl's benefit dinner on May 27th or at one of the golf outings being planned. Thank you.

--- Peter & Tricia Riccio

Update 5/05/2003

Once again, we thank everyone for everything they are doing for Carl. It is greatly appreciated. The prayers, I hope, will be answered by a higher authority. Well-wishing and support of all kinds has kept our entire family's spirits high, and your gracious donations will enable us to have the best care for Carl.

During what all of us agree is only a temporary setback in his already very productive life, Carl has not wavered from his unbelievable will to improve and learn as much as he can. He will keep his mind and body ready for the time when science can cure this terrible injury. (NJ residents can very easily help support stem cell legislation on this website. Please take a few minutes and send in the pre-typed letter)

With the help of the teachers and administrative staff of a tremendously supportive Watchung Hills Regional High School, Carl has been able to continue with his studies. He is now in the process of finishing the third marking period and, in a couple of months, he will complete his junior year. If all goes well, he will be back to school for his senior year.

Although he may not be leading the athletic teams on the field, I am sure everyone will see the same Carl Riccio that we all love. His character and beautiful personality have certainly not been affected. Thank you.

--- Peter & Tricia Riccio

Update 4/26/2003

Once again thank you for all your support, prayers, donations, letters, cards, emails, gifts, they are all appreciated by Carl and his entire family. The outpouring of care, support and love to Carl has been inspirational.

Carl continues to learn whatever they teach him. He is upbeat and on top of everything. I am sorry I cannot report progress in his spinal cord injury as far as new muscles or new levels of nerve feeling. When this happens I will inform you and celebrate on this forum.

One thing I would like to ask all of you is to support legislation to allow stem cell research and to have the government support it with federal funds. I can tell you that I have talked to dozens of spinal cord researchers and one of their problems is that stem cells are not available because our government outlawed necessary science involving the use and distribution of stem cells.

Many scientists believe that stem cells are the answer to spinal cord regeneration, as well as the cure for many other diseases. Please help our legislators understand the need for this research. Carl and thousands like him need to walk. This website gives you the chance to send a letter to your legislators, please spend the couple of minutes to help millions. Thank you.

--- Peter & Tricia Riccio

Update 4/18/2003

Once again Carl and his family thank everyone for their prayers, letters, emails, donations and overall support. It is amazing and heartwarming to know the true nature of people.

Carl has progressed in the last week. The trach is out, he has started riding in an electric wheel chair and he is feeding himself with a special aparatus. Carl's attitude is unbelievable. He seems to actually enjoy each new thing they teach him. He is truly remarkable in his resolve to get better and be as independent as possible.

We continue to search for a cure and there is hope and frustration with every new bit of knowledge we find. Two girls from the U.S. recently went to Portugal to have an experimental surgery. We are following their progress and, if hopeful, Carl can have this procedure in 10 months.

In the meantime, thank you for all your support. Keep Carl in your prayers and thoughts. We wish everyone a happy Passover and Easter. Thank you.

--- Peter & Tricia Riccio

Update 4/11/2003(a visit from Christopher Reeve)

I have just finished reading to Carl all the emails since last week. He loves to have them read to him and, like Tricia and myself, he is amazed and appreciative of everyone's well wishes and prayers.

Carl is working hard to strengthen the muscles he can work on - cervical 4 & 5 controlled muscles. We hope that someday he will have some movement below the injury sight of c5. If this ever happens or I should say, as Carl does, "when this happens", I will report it immediately.

In the mean time Carl works on what he can. His attitude and spirits are amazing. He truly inspires his family and friends. I do not know how he does it, but he is truly blessed with a personality second to none.

Christopher Reeve visited Carl yesterday. Everyone who has a spinal cord injury owes thanks to Mr. Reeve. He is the catalyst for much of the spinal cord research over the last 7 years. His tragedy, I am positive, will help thousands in the future. His words and appearance helped my family yesterday. Thank you Christopher Reeve.

Until next week, thank you and continue to pray for Carl. I hope next week I can report that Carl has had his trach removed.

--- Peter & Tricia Riccio

Update 4/03/2003

It is overwhelming, the support Carl has recieved on this website, as well as from cards, letters, etc. from all over the country. Carl's spirit is unbelievable. Tricia and I alternate each night, she reads him all his mail and I usually read him his email and this website. I can tell you it is a wonderful thing for all of us to know there is such love and prayers out there.

Carl's physical condition improves daily. He works hard at whatever muscles he has activity in. Not to get into too much detail, but I know alot of people want to know, so I will explain his injury. He has an injury to the cervical 4 & 5 vertabrea, so all nerves at and below this site have been damaged. He is working hard at restoring function in c4 and 5 muscles, mainly biceps in both arms, and is having great success. We are hoping for further restoration below the injury site: c6, 7 , 8, to thoracic, lumbar and sacral area. That is what we, and all of you, are praying and hoping for.

We all pray that Carl receives this ability, however if he doesnt, then we will be praying for modern science to intervene. We have been in touch with many places throughout the world, and we truly believe that in the near future, Carl may be helped by modern stem cell and other transplantation techniques. Please dont forget Carl. He is worth your prayers. Thank you.

--- Peter & Tricia Riccio

Update 3/26/2003

Once again our family thanks everyone who cares about Carl. We thank you for your prayers, letters, emails, donations and cards. Everything is appreciated.

I wish I could give some good news about Carl's condition, but it is a long and hard process. Somehow, some way, Carl will get better, he deserves it. Technology, science and answered prayers together are what we hope for. Carl's unbelievable attitude, faith, strength and overall love for all his family, friends, teammates, classmates and teachers is amazing. This support group, together with Carl's unbelievable spirit, will get Carl through this difficult time. Thank you.

--- Peter & Tricia Riccio

Update 3/19/2003

We want to thank everyone for their prayers, donations, cards, letters and emails. Our family is truly touched by the outpouring of care and love for Carl. We thank everyone. Carl has a long road ahead of him and his friends and well wishers will definately pave the way for a quicker recovery.

We recieved some guarded optimistic news on Tuesday 3/18, the doctors moved him to incomplete status. Rather than go into details, basically what this means is that Carl's possibilities of recovery are higher. Although at this time nothing significant has happened as far as movement, this has certainly given the family and friends a shot of adrenalin and new found hope.

Please keep your prayers and well wishes coming.

--- Peter & Tricia Riccio

Update 10/7/2004

This past Monday October 4, 2004, was very special for me. Not only was my entire family with me, but a new and extended family of friends and businessmen from Morgan Stanley, who have become the heart and soul of the Carl Riccio Annual Golf Outing run by Jose Rivera and Denise Cappuccio. I cannot say enough about all these wonderful men who take a day out of their lives to support my son. We are truly blessed to have their support and we will be forever grateful. The support of our family and friends has been continual and unwavering. I can only say thank you, and assure you that Carl is worth it and will make you proud.

Besides all these wonderful people and the beautiful weather, we were also honored to have the world’s leader in spinal cord injury research, the founder of the SCI Collaborative Research Center in New Jersey, and family friend and mentor Dr. Wise Young. I was in contact with dozens of doctors and research scientist throughout the world in the first few weeks of my son’s injury, and although most tried to be helpful and supportive, there was one beacon of hope and knowledge, and that was Dr. Wise Young. He came to visit Carl and my family the first week at Kessler Institute, it was then that we began to really learn the story of spinal cord injury, what has been the status quo and what the future will bring with the new and exciting world of stem cells and drug therapy.

To have people realize how fast things are moving in the world of medicine and stem cell research in particular, I would like to quickly explain where Dr. Young has been, and where he is, in the short time of the last three years. In Dr. Young's lab in New Jersey, with a few other doctors they transplanted olfactory cells(stem cells) into rats damaged spinal cords over time they began seeing some results, not a cure but some real function increase. With this, Dr. Huang, one of Dr. Young's students, went to China and started doing this operation on SCI injured people in China. Dr. Young was amazed and frightened. Since then Dr. Huang has done the operation on over 500 patients with various results. Dr. Young has been to China almost a dozen times in the last 2 years observing and reporting to us on Dr. Huang's progress.

Well that's enough of the background, I want to now tell you what Dr. Young told us in his speech on Monday. The man that gave me life and hope 18 months ago now says that a cure will happen in the next five years, to be exact he said before 5 years. I know how hard this has to be for Dr. Young to put a time frame on something such as a cure, that is why I am so optimistic and hopeful. The thoughts in my mind the last two days are not of Carl in a wheel chair and worse, but of what a new life for Carl will be as a recovering SCI patient. What will the limits be? Will he walk? Run? Play catch with his kids? I believe the answers are yes, and Tricia and I cant wait.

Once again, thank you Jose Rivera, Denise Cappuccio, all our family and friends, all the great people of Morgan Stanley and of course the great Dr. Wise Young.

Thank You,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 9/8/2004

Carl has been at Villanova for 2 weeks now. It has been a hard time for us. I think that every young person leaving home for college has an adjustment period, and for a quadriplegic it is multiplied ten fold. The problems started two days before he was to leave when his assistant announced he was not going to Villanova. After I got over the shock and the need to kill him, I just decided I would move to Villanova and take the job of Carl's assistant, enroll in some courses, get in shape and join the diving team. After a day or so the assistant came back and these plans were put on hold to Carl's great relief.

Tricia has been working daily for months on Carl’s transition to college and still more things have gone wrong then right. The phone line is still not in, the computer system that works his room is not yet installed properly, Carl has been sick, and he has not been able to do his physical therapy for two weeks for various reasons. I have been worried about Carl constantly and have felt a large void in my life, but just as things seemed worse, Carl has physically gotten better. With that and a little more organization and time management, life in college will be fruitful and fun. As usual Carl is amazing, funny, inspirational and the center of my life.

I hope a cure is coming. Stem cells are what we hang our hats on at this time. One of the greatest people I know Dr. Wise Young, from the Spinal Cord Collaborative Research Center in New Jersey, will be speaking at the dinner for Carl on October 4, 2004. Carl’s great benefactor, Jose Rivera, who runs this fundraiser for him, asked for a speaker on stem cells and we have the best coming. Please, anyone who is interested in Carl or SCI research come and meet Dr. Young on October 4th(details on site).

I have been gifted in the fact that I have been able to provide my family with the finances to live a good life, but I can tell you this tragedy is something that would challenge the finances of all but a very few. So once again, I must thank everyone who has helped us in this regard, we will be eternally grateful.

We played a football game on the beach a few weeks ago and Carl was watching his brothers and friends play. I cried as I watched Carl, laughing, joking, and just having fun with all the players. How does he do it? Why does he never ask why? Why is he not bitter? Should we play in front of him? These are all questions I have in my mind and then I wipe my tears and realize again that he is laughing and having fun. This is my son, my hero, Carl Riccio.

Thank you,
Peter J. Riccio

Update 7/8/2004

Once again I say thank you to everyone who is interested in Carl's progress. I am told dozens of times how people are touched by Carl and that they enjoy reading the updates. It is a tribute to Carl that so many people care about him and wish him well. This puts a certain amount of responsibility on Carl to live up to and exceed expectations that people have of him. I think this is a blessing. I want him to reach all his goals and become a role model for all of us who must climb a mountain of obstacles to succeed.

Carl graduated on June 16,2004. Everyone who spoke mentioned Carl. It was so touching to me that I could not keep my eyes dry. The last speaker, Dr. Thomas Diganci the principal of WHRHS said something like this: ”The administration, the teachers, the underclassmen and the graduates are better people because they got to know Carl Riccio...” With that they called up the first graduate - Carl - and the graduates and the hundreds in the stands all gave him a standing ovation. I can tell you my wife and I were touched deeply. It was a wonderful tribute by a great class, school, and community for a kid who is able to live life to the fullest despite the tragedy he has faced.

We have all looked at the handicapped and felt sorry for them. How could they live like that etc? I have a handicapped son and still ask that question everyday, and everyday I get the answer by watching Carl. He goes to every function, he tries everything, he received his handicapped license last week, he dances in his wheel chair, he gives speeches and adapts to many things that would make many of us never leave our room. How does he do it? Maybe the answer is he has no choice, or maybe he is special, maybe he is too naive to even think of giving up. He fights with me over how something is to be done or what he wants over what I want and I can tell you his strong willed personality is intact. You must have a strong argument to get Carl to change his direction. I think the strength of character that Carl possesses is the reason why he is so independent and inspiring.

Carl is spending most of the summer in Lavallette before leaving for Villanova on August 21st. He will continue to do his physical therapy no matter where he is so that when a cure is found his muscles will be ready. On July 19th and October 4th there will be golf outings to help pay for medical needs. Information is on this website.

Once again thank you for your interest in Carl. Please continue to pray for Carl and all the scientists who are working towards a cure for spinal cord injury. Everyday I read about what is happening in the world as far as research, drugs and clinical trials. I do not think my hope is unrealistic that my son will walk someday and when he does my life will be complete. In the meantime we have all of you, and that is more important than you can imagine.

Thank you,
Peter J. Riccio

Update 6/7/2004

It is now less than two weeks before Carl graduates from high school. As everyone else that moves on to a new stage of life, a certain amount of uncertainty and anxiety along with great anticipation go along with this right of passage. Carl will be doing so with just a little more anxiety then most. Carl’s greatest fear is that new people he meets will see him only as a quadriplegic and that it will be hard for them to get to know the real Carl - the athlete, the personality, and if I might add, that incredible heart of gold he has.

In response, I tell him that I agree with him. It will be his biggest obstacle and his greatest challenge. When he returned to Watchung Hills, he was loved and respected because of what kind of person he was before his injury - a big, strong, great athlete, who was humble to a fault and friends with a vast array of students and faculty. His personality bridged all social barriers. These facts made it so much easier for him to return to life as a student. As he has said, everyone at Watchung Hills knows the real Carl Riccio.

Now the biggest challenges are ahead for my beautiful young man. It will not be easy. We all remember going to college for the first time - excited, scared and just about every other emotion that a young person leaving home for the first time has. Then add to it this terrible tragedy that has made Carl a quadriplegic. How do we help Carl with his number one fear of people not knowing the person he was for 17 years? This I really do not have an answer for. I just tell Carl that for most of us, if faced with the same situation, the goal of having people know and accept us would be much harder than for him. He is beautiful, smart, good and has a personality that is second to none. It will be up to him to break down the barriers that he will encounter because of his handicap. He might have to take some personal beatings along the way, but my bet is he will prevail and four years from now he will be leaving Villanova with hundreds of friends better off because Carl Riccio touched their lives.

In the last few weeks Carl has been honored by the students and faculty of Watchung hills with a fundraising volleyball tournament as well as a 3 mile walk. Both events were fantastic and added funds to Carl’s medical care needs. Carl was also awarded the Optimist Club award for Wrestling and attended this fine event along with the other 29 recipients at Watchung hills.

Last night my wife(Tricia) and sister(Renee) attended RALLY FOR THE CURE in New York this event was the beginning of what we hope will be the end of spinal cord injury as we know it. The proceeds go to the Rutgers Collaborative Research Center for Spinal Cord Injury, lead by one of the greatest person I have ever met, one of Carl’s and thousands like him real hope, Dr. Wise Young. We hope last night was a success and I know Tricia and Renee were very excited at the showing.

Carl, his brothers and I went to the Pilot baseball game yesterday in North Plainfield. Carl met many players and coaches that he had played for over the years. The mayor of North Plainfield presented Carl with checks from many of the teams in the area. We want to thank Dan Battista and the Pilots for honoring Carl last Night.

Thank you for your interest in Carl. He is a remarkable person and I will continue to report on his life and progress as long as people care.

Thank you,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 2/2/2004

Once again I want to thank everyone for their prayers, letters, thoughts and donations. Tragedy brings out the best in people and we are certainly seeing that in Carl's situation. Everyone has been so supportive. Carl enjoys talking to well wishers at all the wrestling matches, he is open to everyone. I truly believe the fact he is involved with the wrestling team, and his brothers participation, has been a huge blessing. Soon baseball season will start and I am sure he will have a similar experience.

Carl's schedule includes about 4 hours a day of physical therapy. One aspect of therapy is electrical stimulation. I believe that the Ergys machine which stimulates Carl's legs to ride a stationary bike, and the Bioflex suit that gives Carl the ability to contract almost all the muscles that are paralyzed, are breakthroughs in spinal cord therapy that will give SCI patients the ability to keep their body ready for the cure. I want to thank both these companys for existing, and hope they will continue to find products to help the paralyzed.

Carl will walk some day, he will be physically whole. I do not know when or how, but I know it will happen. Tricia and I will live our lives for this pupose and when it happens we will have all of you to thank - all of Carl's new and old friends that keep all of our spirits high.

Thank you,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 1/6/2004

I would like to wish everyone a happy and healthy new year. You who continue to support Carl and my family, have been instrumental in our attempt to continue our lives and pursue all of life's dreams. At times, in the last ten months, these dreams seemed unattainable. But I am sure, in no small part, because of the prayers and support of hundreds out there, we have learned to go on.

We were at the Kessler Institute on Sunday for the signing of the stem cell bill by Governor McGreevey. I believe that this is the beginning of the end of many medical problems. The scientific community has been asking for this bill and now they have it. I implore them to put all their efforts into research to see if the hope we all have, because of the passage of this bill, can be turned into cures for thousands who suffer debilitating diseases.

Carl continues to work hard at his class work as well as physical therapy. He attends wrestling practice and fulfills his role as one of the captains of the wrestling team. Anyone who sees Carl at any event, please feel free to come and introduce yourself, he loves to meet people and you will find he will make you feel at ease.

Carl was accepted into Villanova University, his number one choice. We are extremely proud to say Carl will be attending Villanova in the fall of 2004 and I am positive that he will make Villanova proud that they have him.

In the next few months Carl will be challenged with many new experiences and some emotional dates, 1/22 - his first birthday since injury, 2/22 - one year since injury, wrestling matches and baseball games from a wheel chair, and a possible trip to China for an operation that although not a cure, has some promise as to some help. There was a time that these things scared me, made me anxious and depressed, but not any more. Carl has proven to me that whatever it takes, we will go on, we will survive. He will succeed in life for the next 70 years as he has in his first seventeen, this I have no doubt.

Thank you for your continued interest and support.

Love,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 11/3/2003

Carl got some good news recently scoring over 1300 on his SATs. We were all holding our breath as the scores were read to us over the phone. We feel that with Carl's GPA and his SAT scores, he should be a good candidate for most colleges.

We are working out most of our daily routines and Carl adjusts well to everything. The bad days are those that Carl is sick, which is one of the added burdens of spinal cord injury.

Carl's grandmother is very sick and will not live long. We talked to her yesterday and she told us that number one on her agenda when she leaves this earth and gets a chance to speak to the powers that be, is to ask for some special attention for Carl and if God sees fit, to cure him as fast as possible.

Sports have been a big part of Carl's life, and wrestling a big part of his sporting life. We are in for a lot of emotional days ahead with his two brothers wrestling on the same team Carl was a member of when he was injured. We were at Phillipsburg the other day for Shane and Tyler's first match of the preseason. It was very emotional. The three of us sat in that special lockeroom at Phillipsburg and cried tears of sorrow that our brother,child and leader was not with us for the first time in over ten years.

We will have many more days like that, but we will go on and Carl will continue to help our family survive and thrive.

Thank you,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 10/2/2003

The saying goes, time heals all wounds. I certainly hope so. I know that because Carl has been so tremendous through this whole mess. He has given me the strength to repress the feelings of anxiety and depresssion that comes when dwelling on what he is missing, can't do, or what he would be doing if he hadn't been injured.

We are going on. Our home is still a mess, but we finally have the elevator in and working. This gives Carl the freedom to go anywhere in our home by himself. We have purchased many exercise machines for our home so that we can keep Carl physically strong and ready for the future cure. Carl approaches his therapy sessions just like he approached his baseball and wrestling workouts. He is a master of all the machines and is a perfectionist in their use. We are now getting his schedule worked out so each exercise is mapped out and shortly we will have all Carl's therapy sessions and workouts scheduled like a well oiled machine.

Carl's friends are tremendous, they are always over and include Carl in everything. His brothers, Shane and Tyler, are amazing in that they help Carl without even a hint of anxiety. Carl, Shane and Tyler, despite the age difference, have always been extremely close, and for Tricia and I, this is a source of happiness. I would love to record Carl giving Shane and Tyler a wrestling or hitting lesson. For me, I could not be more proud of all of them.

Tim Case, a fellow patient at Kessler, has just had an operation in China. The hope is that it will return some function. We are in constant contact with Tim and two other Americans that have just had the operation. Needles to say, we are all excited for them and the fact that if succesful, Carl will be on a future plane to China. This is not a cure, but a first step, and we are greatful for the doctor in China as well as the American patients who are paving the way for Carl and hundreds like him.

Once again, we thank everyone for their interest in Carl, he is truly the wind beneath our wings.

Thank you,
Peter and Tricia Riccio

Update 9/7/2003

So many things have happened since the last time I left an update on Carl and his family. The biggest, and most important, is that he is now attending high school with all his friends at Watchung Hills. All his friends, teachers and administration have been totally committed to helping Carl and his family reach this goal and make it successful for Carl. I can tell you Tricia and I are so thankful to everyone at Watchung Hills who have made Carl's return to school successful.

The stress on a family in this situation is hard to explain. Along with all the problems that go along with this injury and the mental stress that goes with it, there is this feeling of complete helplessness when dealing with health care manufacturers. We ordered an elevator for our home in May but it is still not in. We ordered a van so that Carl could get around and it was supposed to be done in July but we just got it last week. I could go on and on, but these things will eventually be ironed out and we will settle into some kind of routine.

Through everything, Carl has kept his remarkable spirit. I sometimes believe he does a lot of faking around me because of my depression. I do know that on occasion he starts crying when someone asks him about his previous atheletic accomplishments and what he wants to do in the future. One thing that has not changed is that he still wants to go to Villanova next year with his cousins and brother. Even when he had his pick of colleges due to baseball, his first choice was Villanova. I will soon start the process to make this possible and if anyone can help, we would appreciate it.

Today, 9/7, Tricia and I just got Carl off with his three brothers and two friends to Giants Stadium to watch the Giants first game. The Giants gave Carl 2 tickets and I purchased 4 more. Carl will be asking friends to go with him to all Giant home games that he can attend. I know he was happy this morning. I hope all goes well. I want to thank the Giants and Mr. Gorman for making this possible and, of course, Denise Cappuccio who continues to do things for Carl that are remarkable.

Tricia, Carl and I, along with his uncles Bob, Craig, Frank and aunt Renee, all attended the open house at Rutgers on Friday to introduce us to Dr. Huang and his procedure that has helped patients in China, Beijing, get some results, not a cure, but some additional function through Olfactory Stem Cell transplantation. We were encouraged. I, of course, am scared of any operation, but we must be willing to take reasonable risks to get better. We know a man from Kessler who is going this month to China for this operation and if all goes well and his improvement is significant, we will seriously consider Carl for this surgery next summer.

On September 15, at the National Golf Course in Basking Ridge, Jose Rivera and Tim Shalcross are hosting a golf event for Carl. Carl will be at the event driving around the golf course and, at the dinner, he will be one of the speakers. We thank everyone who is involved with this and all other events for Carl and, of course, please keep praying and emailing Carl. People are good, generous and inspirational, and Carl needs and appreciates both economic, social and spiritual support.

Thank you.

Love,
Peter and Tricia

Update 8/7/2003

Carl continues to go on and learn new things. We continue to go to therapy each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. He is playing cards and board games, and enjoys all the friends and well wishers who come to see him in Lavalette.

The computer software that allows Carl to use the computer with speech activation is truly remarkable. It takes a while to get the kinks out, but he really seems to enjoy reading all of your messages and speaking to everyone on the internet.

Carl recently stayed over his cousins house for a night. He really enjoyed being away and doing something new. Carl is amazing. He is rarely down and always ready to work hard to reach his goals. He wants to walk, but he wants so much more. The more I am around him, the more I realize how lucky I am to have him.

Carl will be at Patriot Stadium on Saturday 8/9. We appreciate the invitation the Patriots extended to Carl and all his friends and well wishers. We once again thank everyone for all the prayers, messages and donations. They are so uplifting. I think Carl will walk someday. I am POSITIVE he will be successful. His spirit and love for life equal success.

--- Peter & Tricia Riccio

Update 7/5/2003

I am sorry to report that Carl was not a candidate for the experimental operation in Philadelphia at Shriners Hospital. I must admit it was a very traumatic experience for Carl and his family. We were hoping for this to give Carl function in his left bicep but it just did not work out.

We will continue our search for Carl. I can not explain how much he means to me and how much we are suffering for him. We must now find new things in his life to give him the strength to go on and be successful in his present situation. It will take time but we will be successful.

Carl is truly one of a kind. He is so special. You would have to be around him to understand. Maybe it's his friends, or his large family, or all of you out there who give him greetings, prayers, love, donations and emails, but most of all it's just Carl. That maturity(way over his years), his attitude, along with that beautiful innocence that keeps us going and makes us love him more than I can explain.

Thanks to everyone.

--- Peter & Tricia Riccio

Update 6/4/2003

Once again we will try to express our heartfelt thanks for everything people are doing for Carl. The emails and letters are encouraging, informative and inspirational. Keep the prayers coming maybe the volume has not reached high enough, we are still waiting for spiritual intervention.

We read every day of possible future cures for spinal cord injury, we can only support all these scientist with proper legislation (stem cell legisalation) as well as financial support.

As for the dinner on May 27, it was great. The support Carl and our family recieved was amazing. Everyone who worked to make that night what it was, we are eternally grateful.

The amount of money that it costs to give Carl what is necessary for a life that will include dignity and independence, as well as the best medically, will run into millions. As is the case in all catastrophic injuries, insurance pays for what they think is necessary for life. Our son will get what is necessary for a productive, independent and happy life. Besides a cure, this is what we as Carl's parents now live for. That is why we accept and appreciate all donations on behalf of Carl. Once again we are grateful.

I just want to mention some immediate functions that will be happening in the next 10 days.

Bobby Thompson will be at Sports Minded, Warren, NJ,(thank you Brian Leboeuf) to sign balls for Carl and Chris also paralyzed, between 1 and 3 PM on Saturday June 7th.
On 6/14 in Pennsauken, NJ, 856-661-9999, Tom Loperfido, owner of Spa and Fitness Center, will have a day of activities for Carl's cause.

Update 5/5/2003

Once again, we thank everyone for everything they are doing for Carl. It is greatly appreciated. The prayers, I hope, will be answered by a higher authority. Well-wishing and support of all kinds has kept our entire family's spirits high, and your gracious donations will enable us to have the best care for Carl.

During what all of us agree is only a temporary setback in his already very productive life, Carl has not wavered from his unbelievable will to improve and learn as much as he can. He will keep his mind and body ready for the time when science can cure this terrible injury. (NJ residents can very easily help support stem cell legislation on this website. Please take a few minutes and send in the pre-typed letter)

With the help of the teachers and administrative staff of a tremendously supportive Watchung Hills Regional High School, Carl has been able to continue with his studies. He is now in the process of finishing the third marking period and, in a couple of months, he will complete his junior year. If all goes well, he will be back to school for his senior year.

Although he may not be leading the athletic teams on the field, I am sure everyone will see the same Carl Riccio that we all love. His character and beautiful personality have certainly not been affected. Thank you.

--- Peter & Tricia Riccio

Update 4/11/2003

I have just finished reading to Carl all the emails since last week. He loves to have them read to him and, like Tricia and myself, he is amazed and appreciative of everyone's well wishes and prayers.

Carl is working hard to strengthen the muscles he can work on - cervical 4 & 5 controlled muscles. We hope that someday he will have some movement below the injury sight of c5. If this ever happens or I should say, as Carl does, "when this happens", I will report it immediately.

In the mean time Carl works on what he can. His attitude and spirits are amazing. He truly inspires his family and friends. I do not know how he does it, but he is truly blessed with a personality second to none.

Christopher Reeve visited Carl yesterday. Everyone who has a spinal cord injury owes thanks to Mr. Reeve. He is the catalyst for much of the spinal cord research over the last 7 years. His tragedy, I am positive, will help thousands in the future. His words and appearance helped my family yesterday. Thank you Christopher Reeve.

Until next week, thank you and continue to pray for Carl. I hope next week I can report that Carl has had his trach removed.

--- Peter & Tricia Riccio

Update 4/3/2003

It is overwhelming, the support Carl has recieved on this website, as well as from cards, letters, etc. from all over the country. Carl's spirit is unbelievable. Tricia and I alternate each night, she reads him all his mail and I usually read him his email and this website. I can tell you it is a wonderful thing for all of us to know there is such love and prayers out there.

Carl's physical condition improves daily. He works hard at whatever muscles he has activity in. Not to get into too much detail, but I know alot of people want to know, so I will explain his injury. He has an injury to the cervical 4 & 5 vertabrea, so all nerves at and below this site have been damaged. He is working hard at restoring function in c4 and 5 muscles, mainly biceps in both arms, and is having great success. We are hoping for further restoration below the injury site: c6, 7 , 8, to thoracic, lumbar and sacral area. That is what we, and all of you, are praying and hoping for.

We all pray that Carl receives this ability, however if he doesnt, then we will be praying for modern science to intervene. We have been in touch with many places throughout the world, and we truly believe that in the near future, Carl may be helped by modern stem cell and other transplantation techniques. Please dont forget Carl. He is worth your prayers. Thank you.

--- Peter & Tricia Riccio

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