What an 'unfortunate' way to go down. Good to hear that it won't cost him his life.

A very tough situation, hopefully he will be well with time.

For those that are interested, GGF has established a fund to help Michael (this is from the track website):

FUND ESTABLISHED FOR MICHAEL MARTINEZ
**** A fund for jockey Michael Martinez, seriously injured in a spill last Sunday at Golden Gate Fields, has been established for those who wish to provide financial aid to the 24-year-old rider and his family.

*** Checks should be made out to “Michael Martinez Fund” and sent to Golden Gate Fields, 1100 Eastshore Highway, Berkeley, CA 94710.


I'm not gambling this weekend, I'm donating the money I would have lost :o to the fund.

great news, glad he's on the improve.

I hope he fully recovers. Do they allow stem-cell therapy in Cali?

Things are looking a lot better for Michael:

http://www.drf.com/news/sudden-chang...well-liked-man

Lots of track folks supporting this kid, he's one of a kind!

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers, everyone here in NorCal has been behind him and will continue to be - hopefully the recovery continues!

Ditto to what Homer said. I'm not sure how things are looking better. Yes...he's alive...but he's permanently paralyzed.
Maybe all connections will suddenly turn Democrat and vote for more stem-cell research?

In California, we vote for stem cell anything, I think.


Happily so, if it involves research and possible new knowledge and learning,

And I usually vote Republican.

Two page story in this mornings NY Daily News.


http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/mo..._michael_.html

Stem cell therapy not an option for Martinez..
By Matt Hegarty

Specialists at Northwestern University near Chicago have decided that the rider Michael Martinez is not a candidate for a clinical trial using embryonic stem cells to treat spinal-cord injuries, according to the track physician at Golden Gate Fields, where Martinez was severely injured in a fall on Sept. 12.

Dr. David Seftel, the physician, said that the neurosurgeons conducting the trial had concluded from Martinez’s medical records that the jockey’s spinal cord had been too severely damaged to consider Martinez for the trial. Seftel and Martinez’s family had hoped that the treatments, which have shown some promise in studies on rats, would be able to mend the rider’s severed spinal cord. Martinez is paralyzed from the waist down.

Feel really bad for him and his family. I know everyone was anxiously awaiting and hoping that he would be a Candidate.

I hope they change their minds.

What a shame.

They didn't even do the MRI.

Thumbs down to the Division of Workers' Compensation. They didn't even give him a chance.

"The decision by Dr. Richard Fessler of Northwestern University came late Monday after a tumultuous day in which Martinez was to be transferred from Highland Hospital in Oakland to UCSF for a high-resolution MRI exam. The transfer was canceled when the state Division of Workers' Compensation refused to authorize it."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...SPFC1FHHGJ.DTL

That story sounds a little off to me....at least by my experience.

My 18 year old kid tore his ACL in very late July in a freak workplace accident while working with our city in a summer program for kids.

Workers comp in California got involved because of where he worked, despite our insurance that would have covered everything.

My only call to exert pressure was to his employer just to let them know we needed to get him operated on and functional to get him to college (in the SEC!) by August 15th.

He had the full MRI maybe within 72 to 96 hours of the injury.

The surgery on August 3rd.

California Workers Comp held nothing up or attempted to thwart in our case and we did little if anything in attempts to expedite.

This makes my blood boil. And what kind of hospital can't do MRI's?

Highland Hospital is a place where gang bangers from Oakland are taken to, to be pronounced dead.

Seriously, my life experience after 10 years of living in the Bay Area is that most news stories involving Highland Hospital usually include, "transported to Highland Hospital where he later died."

I'm sure they have fine and very qualified and admirable people that work there.

It's got to be a bitch of a place to be though..

I just heard that Michael's girlfriend gave birth to a little girl - Mom and baby are doing great!