Colorado swim coach Luke Schumm underwent emergency back surgery last week to train a condition named cauda equina syndrom, or spinal cord compression. Schumm has been the head age group coach of the Colorado Springs Swim Team since 2012 and was named the 2015 Colorado Swimming Age Group Coach of the Year.
According to a GoFundMe page set up in his benefit, Schumm now faces ‘several months’ of intensive rehab ‘in hopes that he will regain full function of his legs,’ among other long-term possible health impacts.
“We are overwhelmed by the support and love that so many have shown Luke,” his wife Maggie said on Monday. “His long term condition is still full of questions, but with the love and support of so many, and with Luke’s upbeat and determined spirit, we are confident that his recovery will be full of success. We cannot thank our family, our friends, and the swim community enough for their support. It has meant so much to Luke. Thank you all!”
Cauda equina syndrome (CES) is a condition that occurs when the bundle of nerves below the end of the spinal cord, known as the cauda equina, is damaged. The National Institutes of Help classify the disorder as a ‘rare disease,
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Luke has impacted kids across this country from his work in Wisconsin and Ohio to work at the USA swimming select camp May 2018! As a coach he has changed my life which is helping another second tear of kids. Please keep Luke in your thoughts and prayers.