Charity for injured chef on the menu

If that wasn't bad enough, every morsel he eats must be carefully pureed or he will choke.

David Hartung, 50, was at the top of his profession. A celebrated graduate of the Baltimore International College, he had toiled more than two decades at various restaurants in Anne Arundel County: Carrol's Creek Waterfront Restaurant, Historic Inns of Annapolis, Spring House and Pirates Cove.

Six years ago, then Gov. Parris Glendening hired him to cook at the Governor's Mansion. Mr. Hartung has since worked for former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and Gov. Martin O'Malley.

He was a regular at the Maryland Seafood Festival and at dozens of other annual charity events that required a chef's touch - and his delectable "secret recipe" crabcakes. And his friends have planned an event for August - the Chowder Bash, which sponsors hope to hold annually - for his benefit as he continues to recover from the accident.

"It's the greatest job a chef could have," Mr. Har-tung said of his gubernatorial post. "I miss it a lot. I hope to get it back when I get to that point."

But on Dec. 26, as he was heading to his Severn home after a long day on his feet at Government House the unthinkable happened.

"I was on Route 50 coming up to the 97 split; I had moved into the far right lane," he said. "I noticed a car on the right shoulder on the 97 side of the divide. I saw she took her brake light off."

Assuming the driver would ease back into traffic, he moved into the left lane to give her room. Though she was on the far side of the divide, the driver drove off the shoulder in a 90-degree turn to reach Route 50.

"She cut in front of me," Mr. Hartung said. "I had no room to move. I essentially T-boned her. When I tried to explain what happened to the state trooper, he knew. He said it happens all the time."

Cushioned by a surge of adrenaline, Mr. Hartung said he was not aware he'd been severely injured. Instead, he went home. Several hours later, intense pain kicked in. He'd suffered a severe whiplash injury; his spinal cord was torn. Swelling at the base of his skull was restricting the cerebral spinal fluid that bathes the brain and spinal cord. There was arthritis in the third and fourth vertebra of his neck.

He was still able to walk the day of his surgery at Anne Arundel Medical Center on Jan. 14. Mr. Hartung underwent a seven-hour procedure to put spacers in his damaged neck and fuse some of his vertebrae. The doctors operated through the front and back of his neck.

But again, something went wrong.

"After the surgery, his spinal cord relaxed," his wife, Elizabeth Hartung, said. "One vocal cord was paralyzed by the operation. Then he got pneumonia - three times. He's had a pulmonary embolism. He got a tracheotomy tube to help with food issues."

Mr. Hartung can't walk and doesn't have the strength to operate a manual wheelchair. Mrs. Hartung had to give up her restaurant job at Rockfish to attend to his needs, she said. Mr. Hartung's weight has dropped more than 30 pounds and he requires around-the-clock care.

"I've lost 10 to 15 pounds," Mrs. Hartung said with a laugh. "I call it the Dave Hartung Plan."

"We don't recommend it at all," her husband added with a chuckle.

That chuckle hinted at his optimism.

"I expect that I will eventually walk again," he said. "It's gonna be a long process."

Neighbors, family and friends have turned out to help. One neighbor built a ramp in the back yard so Mr. Hartung can wheel himself into the lower level of the house.

The Hartungs credit the "amazing care" he received at Anne Arundel Medical Center and at Kernan Hospital in Baltimore, where he's undergone months of rehabilitation, with keeping him alive. He also is buoyed by the upbeat spirit and resilience of his children. His mother-in-law has been a godsend, he said, spending several months at their home minding the children while he was at Kernan.

Still, life is tough. He is on disability leave, but was only a state employee for six years. Their savings are running out.

Pat Ernst first met Mr. Hartung 25 years ago at Carrol's Creek.

"He's done a lot of charity events with me," said Mr. Ernst, who is a member of the Chesapeake Chefs Association. "Chesapeake Chefs is in our 20th year of doing the VIP reception for a cystic fibrosis event at Camden Yards. David's been a part of that for many years.

"Everyone loves his Shrimp Tequila. It's definitely my favorite."

Mr. Ernst said he wanted to start a charity in Annapolis to benefit someone different each year, with Mr. Hartung as the first.

So Mr. Ernst called his friends in the food and hospitality industry. Herrington on the Bay Catering offered its location at 7149 Lake Shore Drive in Rose Haven for the event - the Chowder Bash.

The Chowder Bash will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Aug. 24.

There also will be live and silent auction items and raffles featuring dinners at local restaurants, behind-the-scene sessions with local chefs, quality wines and more.

Tickets are $25 per person. Children under 12 are free, with family-friendly events being planned.

For more information about the Chowder Bash, e-mail chefheavy@yahoo.com or call Mrs. Hartung at 410-969-9373.

Wendi Winters is a freelance writer living on the Broadneck Peninsula.