Corey Martens

A single moment changed Corey’s life and sparked the interest to help chronically ill children through Bounce.

“Do you want to build a better tomorrow? We provide a better life and community for people who will be the future.”

Life can change in an instant. For Bounce Children’s Foundation board chair, Corey Martens, a near fatal motorcycle accident did just that. “I died twice and was hospitalized for six weeks- four in a drug induced coma. Laying in the hospital I kept thinking there’s more to life than what I do. People who knew me before the accident would tell you I was married to my job. The accident made me realize that kind of stuff doesn’t matter. It was a big wakeup call to see and care about what really matters.”

The accident made Corey realize that life is precious, and that everyone deserves an equal chance at truly living. “I don’t want my kids to say ‘my dad was a partner at an accounting firm. I want them to say my dad was the chair of Bounce.’ I want my kids to know that their dad cared about something far more important than accounting.”

When approached with the idea of Bounce and giving chronically ill children the chance to be kids, Corey jumped at the opportunity. “Helping sick children is critical. These kids feel like they’re up against the wall, and their parents are overwhelmed with financial pressure and the stress of the child’s condition. Our job is to help these kids and their healthy siblings, because children are our tomorrow.”

As a partner in the forensic services practice at KPMG LLP, Corey is used to looking to tomorrow. He sees not only the children who will inherit it, but also the organization that will enable chronically ill children and their families to live to their fullest potential. “Building a better tomorrow requires building a better life for our kids. As a dad, the better father I am and the better life my kids have, the more successful they will be. We really want to reach kids beyond Chicago. Bounce is absolutely headed in the right direction and growing fast. I can’t wait until we can reach all the children out there who need what Bounce does.”

In battling back from his own healthcare challenge, Corey has committed to helping chronically ill kids continue to bounce back from theirs – and we are all better off for it!