Redefining Your Mindset

Not Giving Up

In 2010, a diving accident left college freshman Matt Fritzie with a C7 burst fracture that paralyzed him from the chest down, but that didn’t stop him from pursuing a career in engineering after years of hard work. “Right away,” he said, “I knew I wasn’t going to give up.”

Now a graduate student at Notre Dame’s Engineering, Science & Technology Entrepreneurship program, Matt intends to spend his career helping others with severe injuries. But it hasn’t been an easy road. “These injuries are catastrophic,” Matt said, “and you feel like you can’t move forward. You’ve got to redefine that mindset.”

Paying It Forward

Matt’s mother, Kim, said that her son learned at Craig that there is no limit to what you can overcome after injury if you dare to try. “[He had] amazing support from the start from the moment he was flown in [to Craig]. The staff was so caring, they prepared the family and him to basically adapt with his injury,” she said.

Fritzie received a $3,000 scholarship from the Craig Hospital Alumni Scholarship fund to return to school. “It helped motivate me to pursue my academic goals,” he said, and he loves that biomedical engineering such a progressive, innovative field that offers a profound opportunity to make a difference.

He said his experience at Craig fuels his desire to make an impact. “Without Craig I would be way more dependent on my family and I would not have the confidence to pursue these endeavors.” Now, he’s poised to pay it forward. “I hope to give back to the community at Craig Hospital through innovation that truly improves the quality of life for those affected by neurological impairments.”