PHOTOS BY MATT ROSE
Everything can change in a heartbeat. An athletic young woman and her boyfriend set out on a quick grocery run on their bicycles, a few blocks from home. A moment later, 26-year-old Skye Barkschat, an experienced cyclist, lay unconscious, having inexplicably lost control of her bike, flipped over the handlebars and struck her head on the pavement. Everything changed.
Everything except the spirit. Skye suffered severe traumatic brain injury and was not expected to survive, but her will would not accept defeat. A longtime environmental advocate, a therapist who worked with autistic children and a doula, Skye had always embraced challenge. She now brought courage and strength to her own battle, astounding her surgeons, therapists and loved ones with miraculous progress in recovering functional and cognitive skills originally believed beyond her grasp.
Yet even as they celebrated Skye’s triumphs, her parents Neil and Kate Barkschat, and Ben Blitch, the sweetheart who had never left her side, realized that they faced another trial. Having recently made a job change, Skye had been days away from eligibility for her major medical insurance when the accident occurred.
Kate, director of fundraising for radio station WNCW, put her skills into action, reaching out to the Asheville community to which Skye had given so much of her boundless energy. "Reach for the Skye," a 501c3 nonprofit organization, was formed to support Skye’s rehabilitation and assist others who were faced with a similar situation. The community reached out to her. Donations and offers of assistance soon followed.
In July, the "Skye Ball," a benefit auction at Asheville’s Orange Peel, featured a dinner for 50 catered by Skye’s cousin Matt Chatham, a chef who had moved from Philadelphia to help care for his childhood playmate. A local real estate developer, Steve Rice, won the bid and immediately compounded his contribution by donating the prize back to the fund in the form of another, expanded benefit event, offering his home as the venue.
On a clear autumn evening, an inspired team headed by Matt and his colleague, chef Nate Clarck, took over the outdoor kitchen and patio at Rice’s impressive home in his Poplar Ridge development. The billiards table was commandeered to serve as a cold station. An al fresco bar was stocked with local beers and with wine donated by Green Creek Winery, located near where Skye had grown up. A volunteer staff that included friends, extended family and co-workers (as well as Rice’s own children) prepared to greet nearly 100 contributing guests, some of them strangers until that night.
The atmosphere was casual and relaxed, with Quick Six, a twosome from Hendersonville, and Michael Keller of Asheville alternately providing a background of jazz-roots and classic rock. At the grill, Matt and Nate turned out mountains of chicken and shrimp brochette for guests to mix and match with an eclectic array of condiments from roasted garlic to Pisgah Pale Ale sauce to a reduced coconut sauce.
As a mellow sunset painted the sky above them, the growing crowd nibbled on pork pot stickers with plum sake sauce, maple-glazed salmon on crostini, prosciutto wrapped scallops, melon and asparagus and a pleasing selection of cheeses and fruit.
Although Skye herself could attend, her presence was everywhere — in photographs, in conversation and in the sense of community that her cause had engendered in the partygoers. "There’s something about Skye," said a friend, "that just makes you want to be a better person."
"The word that comes back to me over and over is magical," says Kate. "I was so moved by so many people who were impacted and got involved. The level of compassion amazed me. It brought me to tears."
But on this night, there was laughter and dancing as the stars began to emerge in the darkening heavens. It was a celebration of spirit and of possibilities, full of hope for a new dawn and a brighter day for a courageous young woman.
Visit www.reachfortheskye.com to donate, learn about
upcoming events and follow Skye’s journey as she continues
to amaze and inspire with her recovery.
