It's the phone call no parent ever wants to receive, "Your son's been in an accident."
Now add the words: Motorcycle. Mexico. Paralysis. No insurance. You have the makings of every parent's worst nightmare.
It was Memorial Day weekend, a date that Realtor and sales trainer Marylyn Schwartz and her husband Gene will never forget.
Their son Clayton had lived in Seattle for the last five years, participating in some graduate programs and managing off-campus private housing in his spare time. Accepted to the law school at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee, Clayton decided to take a motorcycle trip through Mexico and Central America as a kind of "last hurrah" before knuckling down for another three years of school, starting in August.
About three hours outside of Acapulco, Clayton was cruising on a paved road when a equine appeared unexpectedly. Striking the animal, Clayton was thrown over his bike. Despite wearing a helmet, he was instantly paralyzed from the chest down. Taken to a local hospital, Clayton lay on a stretcher for 24 hours before he could be medivaced to the U.S.
"The U.S. Embassy was immensely helpful," says Marylyn. And thankfully, Clayton had taken out insurance called Medjet Assist, which makes arrangements for travelers in foreign countries who experience emergencies. "Between them and the Embassy, they got Clayton out," she says.
After he was stabilized, Clayton was medivaced to Houston's Methodist Hospital emergency room and admitted to the hospital's Neuro-Intensive Care Trauma Unit.
"It was nip and tuck," says Marylyn. "He had blood clots, fever. We were 50/50 whether he was going to live. The assistance of these amazing doctors was unbelievable. They did miracles, and made a traumatically horrible situation as good as it could possibly be. His neurosurgeon was an angel. They did surgery to stabilize his spine and removed bone fragments; now he can sit straight. His upper body is straight and he has the use of his arms."
Marylyn's professional career has been as a business and life coach, spreading her "can-do" attitude to others around her. This appears to have rubbed off on her son.
Clayton still wants to go to law school and is pushing himself and his rehabilitation team to get ready for the first day of classes in August.
"If you work very hard, keep a positive attitude -- that's what he's always been taught," says Marylyn. "He has worked so hard and stayed focused. He will have a custom wheelchair, and he'll have special housing, and a lot of support from the people at Vanderbilt."
But with mounting medical expenses -- the question arises: How to pay for law school? While Clayton was set to begin a job during school, with the added new challenges, the prospect seems daunting.
Clayton, a blogger on ADVrider.com, found he had made a lot of friends online. Many readers came through with donations and other help.
He and his parents have found there is a lot of love in the world.
"I'm getting through this with angels," says Marylyn, with her characteristic can-do attitude. "If I've ever done anything for anybody, it's come back to me ten-fold. Clients have come forward and I've heard from other paralyzed people and they've talked to me. Mothers of paralyzed children have called Gene and me to help us learn what to expect."
And Marylyn wants to continue sharing her message, ideas, and attitude with clients.
"I want to keep working." says Marylyn. "Hire me. I want to stay busy, because that's the best thing I can do for my son."
Editor's note: A foundation has been established for Clayton Schwartz. If you would like to make a donation, please mail to: Clayton W. Schwartz Paralysis Fund
c/o Marylyn Schwartz
35 Fleetwood Avenue
Bethel, CT, 06801
You can also make a donation through Marylyn's Pay Pal account at 
