Some people take a health crisis and quietly recover. They go back to their lives, grateful to still have one, and move on. Derek Schwarting was not that kind of person. At twenty-one years old, after open-heart bypass surgery for a near-fatal infection, he lay in a hospital bed in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and started thinking about how to use what had happened to him to help someone else.
That decision — to turn a devastating personal experience into a platform for giving — is the center of the Derek Schwarting obituary. He was 25 years old when he died on March 26, 2026, two days after a seven-vehicle crash in Monona, Wisconsin. He was a star high school quarterback, a physics graduate, a project manager, a youth football coach, a charity founder, and an organ donor. He packed more purpose into 25 years than most people find in a lifetime.
McFarland lost one of its best.
Who Was Derek Schwarting?
Derek William Schwarting was a 25-year-old from McFarland, Wisconsin — a small city just south of Madison in Dane County. He was a 2019 graduate of McFarland High School, where he left a lasting impression as a standout quarterback. He later earned a physics degree magna cum laude from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, founded a charity called With Heart Mission, worked as a project engineer at Globalcom Technologies in Madison, and returned to McFarland in 2024 to coach youth football. He died on March 26, 2026, from injuries sustained in a seven-vehicle crash in Monona on March 24. He was survived by his family, his teammates, his coaches, and a community that loved him deeply.
Growing Up in McFarland — The Foundations of a Leader
McFarland is the kind of community that takes its people seriously — where a young man’s achievements at the local high school are genuinely celebrated, where coaches invest in their players beyond the scoreboard, and where the idea of giving back to where you came from still means something. Derek Schwarting grew up inside that community, was shaped by it, and gave back to it in ways that went far beyond football.
Those who knew him from his earliest years consistently described the same qualities: leadership, positivity, and a rare maturity that showed itself not just in athletic performance but in character. When things got hard — and they would get very hard — he turned those qualities outward and helped others.
The Quarterback Who Made McFarland Proud
Two Years as Starting Quarterback for the Spartans
Derek Schwarting served as the starting quarterback for McFarland High School’s Spartans for two years, building a reputation not just as a talented athlete but as a leader in the truest sense of the word. His position on the field required him to be the decision-maker, the communicator, the player everyone else watched when things were uncertain. He was good at it. Genuinely good.
The 2018 Season — 9-1 and Undefeated in Conference Play
In 2018, Derek Schwarting led the McFarland Spartans to one of the program’s finest recent seasons: a 9-1 overall record and an undefeated campaign through Rock Valley Conference play. For a high school program in Wisconsin, where football carries real community pride, that kind of season gets remembered. The players who made it happen get remembered.
He was one of those players.
Senior Year — 28 Touchdown Passes and the All-Star Game
In his senior year in 2019, Schwarting threw 28 touchdown passes for the Spartans — a performance that set records and earned him recognition beyond the local community. Following that season, he was selected to play in the 2019 Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-Star Game, a recognition reserved for the state’s top graduating senior football players. It was official confirmation of what McFarland already knew: Derek Schwarting was the real thing.
The Lessons From Coach Paul Ackley That Stayed With Him Forever
McFarland football head coach Paul Ackley was more than a coach to Derek Schwarting — he was an influence that shaped how Derek processed hardship for years after graduation. One of Ackley’s recurring teachings was captured in a simple wristband on Derek’s dorm room desk at UW-La Crosse: “E+R=O.” The phrase stands for Event + Response = Outcome. The idea is simple: you can’t always control what happens to you, but how you respond to it determines the outcome.
“Even if you have a negative event,” Derek explained in an interview, “if you respond positively, the outcome can still be positive even if the cards you were dealt weren’t exactly as you saw them coming.”
He wore that philosophy like a second skin. Coach Ackley later reflected on Derek’s character: “It takes a real positive, mature person to do what he’s doing and what he’s done. It doesn’t surprise me with Derek. I would expect that from him.”
UW-La Crosse — Physics Degree, Magna Cum Laude, and the Crisis That Changed Everything
The MRSA Infection Nobody Saw Coming
As a senior at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Derek Schwarting contracted a staph infection — specifically, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, better known as MRSA. At first, he thought he could sleep it off. That’s the kind of thing a 21-year-old does — underestimates what’s happening in his body, tries to push through it, figures it’ll pass.
It didn’t pass. He became fatigued. Then he was hallucinating. Then he had memory loss. His body was fighting something far more serious than anyone initially understood.
He was admitted to Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse. The diagnosis, when it came, was serious: the MRSA bacteria had traveled through his bloodstream to both his heart and his brain. It had found the mitral valve of his heart and destroyed it.
Open-Heart Bypass Surgery on September 7, 2022
On September 7, 2022, Derek Schwarting underwent coronary artery bypass surgery — open-heart surgery — to address the damage the infection had caused. He was twenty-one years old.
The surgery meant withdrawing from the fall semester. It meant a mandatory eight-week recovery period. It meant lying in a hospital bed in La Crosse with a lot of time to process what had just happened — what he had just survived, what he had taken for granted, and what he wanted to do with the life that had been handed back to him.
Three Weeks in the Hospital and an Eight-Week Recovery
He spent three weeks in the hospital following the surgery. He described having many sleepless nights — nights of processing not just the fear, but the clarity that comes with that kind of fear. The recognition that things you thought were guaranteed are not. The gratitude for ordinary moments you’d previously walked past without noticing.
“I had a lot of sleepless nights to process what was happening and how I had taken things for granted,” he said later.
How He Processed It All — The E+R=O Philosophy
What Coach Ackley had taught him on a football field years earlier now became the framework for the hardest experience of his life. The event was terrible. The surgery, the illness, the enforced withdrawal from school, the disruption to the life he was building — none of it was what he wanted.
But the response was his. And Derek Schwarting chose to respond with purpose.
With Heart Mission — The Charity Born From a 21-Year-Old’s Hospital Bed
What With Heart Mission Is and Who It Supports
Out of his experience with MRSA, open-heart surgery, and his time at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, Derek Schwarting created With Heart Mission — a charity designed to raise money for medical scholarships and give back to the healthcare community that had saved his life. He recognized that the nurses, doctors, and medical professionals who cared for him had dedicated their careers to helping people at their most vulnerable. He wanted to support the next generation of those professionals.
The mission was personal. It was specific. And it reflected the man he was becoming.
The T-Shirt Campaign and “Not Here to Be Ordinary”
To raise money for the scholarship, Derek launched a t-shirt campaign through the With Heart Mission website. He designed three t-shirts — indigo, grey, and white — featuring the bold text “THE WITH HEART MISSION” on the front and the phrase “NOT HERE TO BE ORIDNARY” (spelled with an intentional spirit over perfection). Each shirt sold for $27.
He sold out of the entire inventory.
Raising Over $4,000 for a Medical Scholarship
The campaign raised over $4,000 for a medical scholarship — money that went directly to a student preparing for a career in healthcare. When a friend shared the campaign on social media, Derek’s platform grew significantly beyond what he had initially anticipated. The response confirmed what those who knew him already understood: people wanted to support what he was doing because the way he was doing it was genuine.
“It speaks toward his character. It speaks toward his leadership,” Coach Ackley said. “I saw some of his posts, but what always impressed me was his positivity.”
Derek, for his part, stayed grounded: “I need to be a student for now,” he said when asked about expanding the mission. “Once the semester is over, we’ll start working on more ideas.”
He always had more ideas.
Life After College — Project Manager, Coach, and Community Builder
His Career at Globalcom Technologies in Madison
After earning his physics degree magna cum laude from UW-La Crosse — an achievement that, given the year of health disruption he had navigated, is particularly remarkable — Derek Schwarting moved to Madison and began working at Globalcom Technologies. Globalcom is a Madison-based provider of voice, data, and security technology solutions, serving clients in healthcare, education, and industrial sectors.
He worked as a project engineer there, bringing the same precision and discipline he’d developed as a physics student to the practical demands of technology project management. His LinkedIn profile, which colleagues continued to reference in the days following his death, reflected someone who was building a career steadily and with clear intention.
Returning to McFarland as Quarterback Coach in 2024
In 2024, Derek Schwarting did something that said everything about his relationship with McFarland: he went back. He took on the role of quarterback coach for the McFarland High School varsity football team — giving his time to the programme that had given him so much, coaching the next generation of Spartan quarterbacks with the same investment Coach Ackley had once made in him.
“We are saddened by the passing of former player and current Coach, Derek Schwarting,” the McFarland Football social media page wrote on March 27, 2026. The statement was brief, but the weight of it was enormous: a programme that had shaped him was now mourning the loss of one of its most beloved former members.
March 24, 2026 — The Crash That Took Him
What Happened at East Broadway and Monona Drive
On the afternoon of Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at the intersection of East Broadway and Monona Drive in Monona, Wisconsin, a seven-vehicle crash occurred. The crash was caused when the driver of a full-size pickup truck traveling east on East Broadway experienced a sudden medical emergency — losing consciousness at the wheel. The truck then struck multiple other vehicles that were stopped at a red light.
Derek Schwarting was one of those drivers stopped at the light. His vehicle was hit in the collision. He sustained critical injuries.
The Investigation — No Alcohol, No Drugs, an Unforeseen Medical Emergency
The Monona Police Department, with assistance from the Wisconsin State Patrol, investigated the crash thoroughly. Their findings were clear: there was no evidence of alcohol, drugs, or reckless driving contributing to the incident. The crash was the result of an unforeseen medical emergency — an unpredictable, tragic event that no one involved could have anticipated.
Monona Police Chief Brian Chaney expressed condolences to all affected families and urged drivers to remain vigilant on the roads. Five other drivers were injured in the crash, including one woman who received serious injuries before stabilizing, and four others with non-life-threatening injuries.
Two Days at St. Mary’s Hospital
Derek Schwarting was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, where he was listed in critical condition. He remained there for two days. His family and friends gathered. The community held its breath.
On Thursday, March 26, 2026, Derek William Schwarting was removed from life support. He was 25 years old.
The Honor Walk — A Final Act of Generosity
Just before Derek donated his organs, something remarkable happened in the hallways of St. Mary’s Hospital. An honor walk — a tradition in which medical staff line the corridor to show respect as a patient is taken for organ donation — was held in his name. But it wasn’t just hospital staff who filled those hallways.
Family and friends came. They lined the corridor of St. Mary’s and stood in witness as Derek was taken on his final journey as an organ donor. The images from that walk, shared widely on social media, showed the kind of community presence that only gathers for someone who has truly mattered.
Derek Schwarting chose, in his final hours, to give life to others. It was exactly the kind of choice everyone who knew him expected him to make.
A Community Grieves — Tributes From Teammates, Coaches, and Colleagues
The response from McFarland and the surrounding communities was immediate and overwhelming. Teammates from his playing days remembered him as “a positive role model and someone who was impactful to the entire McFarland community.” The McFarland Football programme expressed grief at losing a player who had become a coach. His colleagues at Globalcom Technologies mourned the loss of a promising young engineer.
Those who remembered the With Heart Mission — who had followed his story after the open-heart surgery, who had bought the t-shirts, who had watched him turn his worst year into something that helped others — shared their tributes online and spoke about what he had meant to them.
Coach Paul Ackley’s words from the original profile returned with new weight: “He’s an insightful young man who wants to help.” That was always who Derek Schwarting was. Even at 25. Even now.
The GoFundMe Campaign and Derek’s Lasting Legacy
In the days following Derek’s death, a GoFundMe campaign was launched to support his legacy and his family. As of the time of this writing, the campaign had raised approximately $47,500 — a figure that reflects the breadth of the community that cared about him and wanted to do something in the face of a loss that left no adequate response.
The funds represent more than money. They represent the thousands of people who encountered Derek’s story — as a football player, as a surgery survivor, as a charity founder, as a coach, as a friend — and wanted to say: his life mattered. What he built matters. What he started should continue.
The With Heart Mission itself remains Derek Schwarting’s most enduring contribution. Founded from a hospital bed, built on the philosophy that even the worst events can produce positive outcomes if you choose how to respond, the mission carries his name and his spirit forward into the work of helping others.
The Memorial Service — Saying Goodbye in McFarland
A visitation for Derek Schwarting was held on Saturday, April 4, 2026, at McFarland Lutheran Church, 5529 Marsh Road in McFarland, from 9 to 11 a.m. A memorial service followed at 11 a.m. The church — in the community where he grew up, played football, and returned to coach — was the right place for a final gathering of the people who loved him.
Those who attended came to say goodbye. But they also came to remember someone who had squeezed more life, more purpose, and more generosity into 25 years than many people find in eighty. They came because they were better for having known him.
Derek Schwarting Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Derek William Schwarting |
| Age at Death | 25 years old |
| From | McFarland, Wisconsin |
| High School | McFarland High School, Class of 2019 |
| High School Football | Starting quarterback, 2 years; 28 TDs senior year; 9-1 season in 2018 |
| All-Star Recognition | 2019 Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-Star Game |
| College | University of Wisconsin-La Crosse |
| Degree | B.S. Physics, magna cum laude |
| Health Crisis | MRSA infection; open-heart bypass surgery, September 7, 2022 |
| Charity | With Heart Mission — medical scholarship fundraising |
| “Not Here to Be Ordinary” | T-shirt campaign motto; raised $4,000+ |
| Career | Project Engineer, Globalcom Technologies, Madison, WI |
| Coaching | McFarland High School Varsity QB Coach, 2024 |
| Philosophy | E+R=O (Event + Response = Outcome) |
| Date of Crash | March 24, 2026 — East Broadway & Monona Drive, Monona, WI |
| Date of Death | March 26, 2026 |
| Cause of Death | Injuries from seven-vehicle crash |
| Organ Donor | Yes — honor walk held at St. Mary’s Hospital |
| GoFundMe | ~$47,500 raised at time of writing |
| Memorial Service | April 4, 2026 — McFarland Lutheran Church, McFarland, WI |
Frequently Asked Questions About Derek Schwarting
Who was Derek Schwarting?
Derek William Schwarting was a 25-year-old from McFarland, Wisconsin, known as a standout high school quarterback, a magna cum laude physics graduate from UW-La Crosse, a charity founder, a project engineer, and a youth football coach. He survived open-heart bypass surgery at age 21 following a near-fatal MRSA infection and subsequently founded With Heart Mission, a charity that raised money for medical scholarships. He returned to McFarland in 2024 as a quarterback coach for his alma mater’s varsity football programme. He died on March 26, 2026, from injuries sustained in a seven-vehicle crash in Monona, Wisconsin.
How did Derek Schwarting die?
Derek Schwarting died on March 26, 2026, from injuries he sustained in a seven-vehicle crash in Monona, Wisconsin, on March 24, 2026. The crash occurred at the intersection of East Broadway and Monona Drive when the driver of a full-size pickup truck experienced a sudden medical emergency — losing consciousness at the wheel — and struck multiple vehicles stopped at a red light. Schwarting was critically injured and was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital, where he remained for two days before being removed from life support. The Dane County Medical Examiner confirmed his death was a direct result of injuries from the crash. Police confirmed there was no alcohol, drugs, or reckless driving involved.
What was With Heart Mission?
With Heart Mission was a charity founded by Derek Schwarting after he underwent open-heart bypass surgery at age 21 following a near-fatal MRSA infection in 2022. The organization aimed to raise money for medical scholarships to support students pursuing careers in healthcare — in direct tribute to the medical professionals who had saved his life. Derek raised the funds through a t-shirt campaign, selling out of shirts bearing the slogan “NOT HERE TO BE ORDINARY” and raising over $4,000 for the scholarship fund. The mission was built on the philosophy that negative events can still produce positive outcomes when met with the right response.
What were Derek Schwarting’s football achievements?
Derek Schwarting served as the starting quarterback for McFarland High School for two years. In 2018, he led the McFarland Spartans to a 9-1 overall record and an undefeated season in Rock Valley Conference play. In his senior year in 2019, he threw 28 touchdown passes for the Spartans. Following his senior season, he was selected to participate in the 2019 Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-Star Game — one of the state’s highest individual honours for graduating senior football players. In 2024, he returned to McFarland as a quarterback coach for the varsity football programme.
Did Derek Schwarting donate his organs?
Yes. Prior to his death on March 26, 2026, an honor walk was held at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison as Derek donated his organs. Family and friends gathered in the hospital corridors to stand in tribute as he was taken for the donation. The honor walk was widely shared on social media and became one of the most moving tributes to his life and character. The decision to donate his organs — made in his final hours — was seen by those who knew him as entirely consistent with who Derek was: someone who, even at the end, found a way to give.
What was the GoFundMe campaign for Derek Schwarting?
Following Derek Schwarting’s death, a GoFundMe campaign was launched to support his legacy and his family. The campaign raised approximately $47,500 as of early April 2026. The funds represent contributions from family, friends, former teammates, colleagues, and community members from McFarland, Monona, and the broader Madison area — people who encountered Derek’s story and wanted to honor it in a tangible way. The campaign reflects the impact he had on his community during his 25 years.
Where did Derek Schwarting go to college?
Derek Schwarting attended the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics magna cum laude. His time at UW-La Crosse included a significant health crisis — an MRSA infection in his senior year that required open-heart bypass surgery on September 7, 2022 — which forced him to withdraw from the fall semester and undergo an eight-week recovery. Despite this disruption, he completed his degree with highest honors, graduating in December 2023, and went on to work as a project engineer at Globalcom Technologies in Madison.