If you were local to the Twin Cities in 2011 you likely remember the tragic accident that changed the life of a promising local hockey athlete forever. That day, an incident on the ice at a High School hockey game left Jack Jablonski, a sophomore at Benilde-St Margaret (BSM) a quadriplegic.
The hockey community and those that knew the family jumped into action immediately to help the Jablonski family adapt to the uncertain days ahead, and provided emotional and financial support as they faced the reality of Jack’s injury. Jim Horton, a commercial loan officer at Highland Bank was a parent of one of the four BSM team captains that year. He and others led early efforts needed to support the family. Approximately a year later, that effort that was formally transitioned to the 501(c)3 Foundation now known as the Jack Jablonski Foundation.
Fast forward nearly ten years, and the impact of this organization has been remarkable. Originally rallying under the mantra “Bel13ve in Miracles”, the advances made in a research partnership with the Mayo Clinic prompted a new mantra “Bel13ve in Recovery”. Over $3 Million in funding raised to date for the Jablonski Foundation enables the research to continue its focus on spinal stimulation and upper limb function. There was a time that recovery from paralysis was thought to be impossible. Science is now proving differently. It is Jack’s mission to bring it from research to clinics where more lives can be impacted by the progress that has been made. Read some of the compelling stories of recovery by real patients to see that the vision is real.
Highland Bank proudly supports the mission of the Jablonski Foundation, and the dedication of Jim Horton and others to continue changing lives. Jim reflected on the impact of this initiative, “It is not what you do, but why and how you do it that drives the Jack Jablonski Foundation in advancing spinal cord injury research and recovery.” We look forward to seeing the continued progress toward their objective.
Highland Bank—Member FDIC