Fundraiser to be held in Medina for local man who was paralyzed after an accident

MEDINA — Groups in Medina County are coming together to participate in a fundraiser on Saturday for Seville resident Brian Coleman, who became paraplegic after he was in a motorcycle accident earlier this year. Coleman said he and his two friends always take a motorcycle trip in the fall. In mid-September, the group was driving down state Route 555, which is a very curved road, when the accident occurred. "We weren't going very fast at all," he said. "If anything, we were probably going 35 mph. I couldn't really tell you what happened. Just got sideways in the road, and I was down." As a result of the accident, Coleman became paralyzed from the waist down. He said he was in a hospital in Columbus for around a month and was back in Cleveland at MetroHealth for rehab for about another month. He returned home on Nov. 4. He said calling it a challenging experience would be putting it lightly. Coleman's sister, Michelle Evans, said his friends came up to her because they wanted to help him financially, which started the idea for the fundraiser. "This was one thing he said as soon as we get to the hospital, he goes 'Oh my gosh, I am going to cause such a burden on my family. I'm just so worried financially. This is going to destroy me,'" she said. "He just knew he was going to have a long recovery. (I said), 'Brian, please don't worry about the finances. Don't worry about the bills. We will figure that all out.'" Evans said Coleman is always the first person someone calls when they need something because he has always been reliable and caring. "I don't think he knows a stranger," she said. "He's very outgoing. He loves to help people. He thrives on helping others. He cares so much for his community he lives in, and of course, he's a loving husband to his wife and a great stepfather to his stepdaughter." The fundraiser will take place on Saturday at the Medina Eagles on 696 Lafayette Road from noon to 5 p.m. There will be a spaghetti dinner, a basket raffle, a 50/50 drawing and a DJ. The money raised will go toward his medical bills and adapting the things he uses daily, like the shower and his bed, Evans said. "Every two hours, his wife has to set an alarm to move him because he can't move," she said. "There's certain things that you never think of like, oh my gosh, I guess you do move at night and don't even realize it." Local businesses such as Coleman's employer, Standard Welding and Steel Products, Westfield Bank, The Coffee Colony and more donated baskets for the fundraiser. Evans said the outpouring of community support from businesses and individuals is humbling and overwhelming. "This is what it should be," she said. "We all should be helping each other out in times when we're down and we need the help." Tickets are $15 and can be purchased by contacting Evans at (330) 421-2087 or by visiting Griddle's Cafe on 986 N. Court St. Tickets will also be sold at the door. More information about the event can be found at bit.ly/3UJbecs. "I knew I had a good bunch of friends and family which are actually blended together, so everybody's family. I'm very blessed," Coleman said. "When I found out (about the fundraiser), I felt very blessed." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.