UW-Madison junior Jackson Spingler said Jake Anderson, the junior who sustained a spinal injury after diving into Lake Mendota last month, has been his best friend since high school. Anderson took Spingler under his wing and they have done almost everything together since.
“Anyone who has met Jake is fortunate to have met him,” Spingler said. “He makes a positive impact on all those around him.”
On Saturday, Sept. 27 Anderson dove off a dock into Lake Mendota and his head struck the bottom of the lake before his hands did, Spingler said. As a result, Anderson broke his neck and suffered a serious injury to his spinal cord.
Anderson is currently doing really well, Spingler said. He has been joking with visitors and staying up to date on his favorite sports teams, the Minnesota Wild and Denver Broncos. Anderson will move to a rehabilitation therapy center in Minneapolis Tuesday to continue improving.
Anderson and his family have seen immense support from a wide range of people. Their CaringBridge site, a website that allows people to share information about those recovering from various medical conditions or hospitalization, has had more than 33,000 visits since the accident.
The Madison community has shown support for Anderson as well.
The Delta Upsilon fraternity, of which Anderson and Spingler are both members, hosted a candlelit prayer service last Friday. Spingler estimated more than 200 people were there, braving a cold night to show support.
“They probably didn’t even know Jake, but I think that speaks to the type of people we have in our community that are here to help Jake and his family,” Spingler said.
On Tuesday, Chasers Bar and Grille will host an event to raise money to ease the Anderson family’s medical costs. Half of food and drink sales and all of the servers’ tips will be donated to the family. There will also be raffle tickets, shirts and bracelets for sale.
“On behalf of Jake, he wants to say thank you to everyone,” Spingler said. “It means more than we can imagine, especially in times like this, to have friends and know that there are people here to help him throughout the process.”
