Domalewski Continues Progressing

Amidst a damp overcast morning, supporters set out to participate in a benefit walk at Rifle Camp Park, in Woodland Park, for Steven Domalewski, a young township boy left severely handicapped following an incident during a baseball game five years ago.

In 2006, while pitching for the Wayne PAL, Domalewski was hit directly in the chest with a line drive the millisecond between heartbeats, triggering a condition known as commotion cordis, causing his heart to stop beating and depriving his brain of oxygen for about 12 to 15 minutes.

Domalewski, with help from his father, Joe Domalewski, and some family friends, took long strides towards the starting line, as his mother Nancy Domalewski cut the ribbons to kick off the fifth annual “Walk for Steven.”

“You all play such an important part in his recovery and every step he takes, you should all be proud of yourselves too for the efforts you’ve taken to help us,” Joe Domalewski told the crowd of over 150 walkers.

The benefit is sponsored by the YM-YWHA of North Jersey with businesses, community groups, as well as families and individuals purchasing sponsorships and tickets. T-shirts with a green and white “Road to Recovery” insignia emblazoned on the front listed the sponsor names of the back.

“This event is due to the hard work of so many people. It’s unbelievably gratifying. The Y is a community center and we’re all about helping people in this way,” stated John Kerr, director of health, physical education and recreation at the YM-YWHA of North Jersey.

The Y initially got involved when Domalewski’s older sister, Arlene, who was a swim instructor at the Y at the time, had shared her brother’s incident with her co-workers. “When we learned that one of our own was affected and that the boy was a child of the community we wanted to do something perpetual until Steven has a full recovery,” Kerr said.

The walk offers a 2.2-miles course for the casual walker and a more challenging 3.5-mile walk for the more seasoned trekker.

Domalewski, 17, still attends Elks CP High School, in Clifton, and recently went to his prom. He continues to receive physical, occupational, and speech therapy, said his mother. This summer he will take part in a summer program at Horizon High School in Livingston, where there is a pool.

“Being he is off for the summer we thought going somewhere with a pool would prove beneficial for him,” Nancy Domalewski said.

He was receiving therapy on horseback at Freedom Horse in Long Valley, which helps greatly because it actually mimics the actions of someone walking however they had to end his sessions because with health insurance refusing to cover it, the cost was too great. A scholarship had allowed for a few more sessions but that has since ended as well.

A rather new option Domalewski has been trying is hyperbaric oxygen therapy where Domalewski sits in a chamber and watches TV while breathing in 100 percent oxygen while under increased atmospheric pressure. Such treatment offers positive results in dive injuries, routine wound care, and treatment of patients who are ventilated or in critical care.

Domalewski just finished up 40 sessions of the hyperbaric therapy and is taking a break now and will start up again in September. Health insurance doesn’t cover the hyperbaric therapy either and sessions at a new location where he will be going in Basking Ridge cost $75 per visit.

“It’s been very difficult keeping up with everything with our health insurance denying coverage to almost everything. Having this walk has proven to be so beneficial to us and seeing so many people from the community reaching out has really been tremendous,” Nancy Domalewski said.

Doctors are currently working on a 3-D reconstruction of Domalewski’s brain for an exact pinpoint of what areas are damaged to allow for transcranial magnetic stimulation, which is a non-invasive method to allow activity in those parts of the brain.

“Someday Steven is going to join us in the walk and will be leading the way,” said his aunt, Sue Buscema.

An adult only comedy night to benefit Steven Domalewski will be held Nov. 4, at St. Joseph’s Recreation Center in Paterson, from 7 to 11 p.m.

Tickets are $25. For more information contact Doug Marotti at 973-633-9597 or log onto www.benefitforsteven.com.

As of Tuesday’s press time, the walk Sunday had raised $15,116.

The YM-YWHA of North Jersey will continue to accept donations which can be mailed to the Y, located at 1 Pike Drive, in Wayne, N.J. 07470. For more information on how to donate to Steven Domalewski log onto www.ymha-nj.org.