Friends, family want to bring paralyzed Army Colonel home to Haymarket

An Army Colonel paralyzed in an mountain biking accident wants to come home to Haymarket.

Phil Swinford is a retired Army Colonel who has served multiple tours of duty served. Back at home, Swinford is a father, husband, and a volunteer assistant scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 581.

In July of 2015, he was in a mountain biking accident which caused an incomplete C2 fracture, ultimately leading to Swinford suffering from quadriplegic paralysis.

The McGuire Veteran Affairs Center in Richmond is currently treating Swinford in its spinal cord injury unit. According to a team member of the Swinford’s, Amy Seitz, the VA is trying to prove that his injury stems from a traumatic brain injury sustained while in active duty.

Due to the traumatic brain injury, his ability to respond and react to the object in front of his path during the accident would have been impaired, family members said.

“Unfortunately, the VA system is broken. These claims take years to process and meanwhile a discharge date is approaching for Phil to a home that does not meet his needs,” says Seitz.

The parents of Boy Scout Troop 581 joined together with Pam Swinford, Phil’s wife, to discuss how to make their home safe for Phil’s return. They teamed up with Rise Up Prince William, a charitable organization that supports projects around the county to improve the quality of life.

Together both raised $14,650 through a GoFundMe page set up for Swinford. However, this amount of money is not enough to cover the price of modifications needed for the home along with the cost bring home the injured Swinford.

Modifications needed to make the home safe for Swinford include widening three doorways, installing a ramp to the front door, and changing the floor to wheelchair accessible material, and an addition to the home. It is now impossible for Swinford to move up and down the stairs of his home because he is ventilator dependent and in a motorized wheelchair. To meet his basic needs, a bedroom and bath need to be built.

WDP & Associates engineer Andy Dalrymple teamed up with Exceptional Home Design designer Dave Guy. Dalrymple and Guy donated their time to the design process of the new addition. The Swinford team is searching for a contractor who is willing to work alongside them to complete the project.

Since the accident, both Phil and Pam Swinford have had to give up their jobs. Their goal is to have Phil Swinford home by summer.

“All the future holds is overwhelming for them. We have told her that there is no way we could even begin to imagine the burden of walking in her shoes, but we can come alongside to carry a bag or two. We need more bag carriers!” said Seitz.