Pete suffered a horrible surfing accident on March 2nd. Pete and Michelle are so blessed to have so many people inquiring on how they can help and as a result their friends have set up this donation page for them because we know they would never ask for help.

Pete, an avid surfer, went surfing at 5:30 am that morning because he wanted to be back in time for his son Gavin’s baseball game. At 7:45am, Michelle received a call from the Huntington Beach lifeguard informing her that Pete had been in a bad accident and although conscious, he was unable to move and was being transported to UC Irvine. Imagine what goes through your mind when you hear your husband cannot move? We later learned that Pete remembers being awake/conscious, floating in the ocean, unable to move, convinced he was going to drown.

That Saturday was filled with many emotions…. We were so happy he was alive but at the same time we couldn’t help but think; what did life have in store for him? Would he walk? Would he move his arms again? He sat in pain for over 12 hours because they could not give him any medication until they knew for sure what was going on with him. We were convinced he was going to be fine, the swelling from his injury would diminish and he would be able to move again. Unfortunately that was not the case. The doctor informed us Pete would need surgery early the next morning. Luckily nothing was broken but he had several discs that were impacting his spinal cord. It was an extremely risky surgery but there was no other option.

I know most of you know the strong, laid back Pete that enjoyed life to his fullest. Whether it was surfing, motorcycle riding, watching football, or riding his Seadoo, he was intense, he savored every moment. Pete has been surfing for over 30 years. He surfed the best waves in Mexico, Costa Rica, Hawaii, and California. However, what came to his mind that day? He first asked the doctor, “Will I walk again?” The doctor said, “I cannot tell you that.” He then asked, “Will I ever be able to throw a ball to my son again?” Again, the doctor said, “I cannot tell you that for sure.”

Many of you reading this know Pete from elementary school and high school. Others know him as Gavin’s dad. Gavin is awesome. He is 6, almost 7 and has natural bleach blonde hair with the cutest freckles. He adores his daddy so much!

Pete is an independent painting contractor & the main breadwinner for the family. The Statti’s family income stream has come to a halt while he lay in the hospital unable to move. As much as we would like to focus on Pete’s recovery, we cannot help but worry about their mortgage payment and bills. Michelle is being amazingly strong through this whole thing but we would like her to focus on Pete’s rehabilitation and Gavin 100% rather than worrying about the bills.

Pete will be in a rehabilitation center at either Long Beach Memorial or UCI for 2 months. From there it will be at least a 9 month recovery & there is still no guarantee he will ever walk again. As of today, March 7th, he is able to move his legs but is still unable to move his hands or arms. He has a long road ahead of him.

My personal note as one of Michelle’s best friends: Michelle is the first person to step in and help when someone needs it. She gives more than she will ever receive. She refuses to accept any help and this is the reason we are committed to helping her now.

Finally, any donation will help. $5 dollars, $20 dollars, it all adds up. However, please be advised, this is not tax deductible. Please post your comments & well wishes on this page. We will save them for Pete. It would be great to hear how you know Pete. Even if you don’t know Pete personally, it would be great if you posted something to the effect of “friend of so and so,” “fellow Lakewood grad,” “fellow surfer,” etc. so we can tell Pete & Michelle about your donation.

Chris & Sherral