My Journey
From rugby player, outdoorsman, hunter, fisherman, pilot to a quadriplegic
September 12, 2010
We had just experienced an action-packed weekend of moose hunting in the Alphabet Hills of Alaska. We did not harvest a bull, but we had several chances while we were trying to get one of our friends his first bull. On Sunday morning we loaded up in my Cessna 185 floatplane, but this flight would not be like any I had ever had before.
My Cessna 185 was the idol of my life. I had bush wheels, floats, and skis for all of the Alaska seasons. I took off from an un-named lake and soon after takeoff had an accelerated stall as we turned from upwind to downwind legs. Within a couple of seconds of stalling we were back into the ground. All I had time to do was steer toward the flattest ground I could see with the rudder pedals and push the yoke to the forward stops to prevent a spin which is usually guaranteed to be fatal. Thankfully the floats absorbed a lot of the impact as the airplane crinkled and crunched to a stop.
A Bad Day
My time in the intensive care unit at Providence Hospital in Anchorage, Alaska was the most spiritually filled time in my entire life. I remember waking up and thinking that all I wanted to do was study God's Word and know Him better. It was an amazingly peaceful time, although I did not know whether I would live or die. Each day was a blessing as we were on our knees praying and asking the Lord for healing.
My son, Ty, was six weeks old at the time of my accident. My wife, Jocelyn, was just learning how to be a new mother and overwhelmed at the thought of what this spinal cord injury (SCI) meant for our new young family.
Intensive Care Unit
The Road to Recovery
After a month in the ICU, two neck surgeries, a tracheotomy, and the placement of a G-tube, I was flown down to Craig Hospital in Colorado to start rehabilitation. This two-month period at Craig Hospital taught me how to get back to life, be independent and productive, and live life again as a quadriplegic. I was outfitted with a sip-n-puff controlled wheelchair, backup manual chair, shower chair, special bed with air mattress, and Hoyer lift to help with transfers. At the same time, my dear friends in Alaska modified my townhouse with a ramp and shower in the garage.
Craig Hospital helped me go scuba diving, shooting, to Denver Bronco and Nuggets games, and much more. I learned how to teach caregivers how to take care of me, and most importantly what it looks like to love the Lord and follow Jesus.
Returning Home
Traveling back home from Craig Hospital was actually a lot more difficult than you might imagine. Traveling on the airline for the first time after the accident was difficult. While I learned how to be independent at Craig Hospital, the staff at Craig helped me with bowel and bladder care, weight shifts, medications, showers etc. The staff was there all day every day. Taking responsibility for all these tasks on your own is not easy. Jocelyn was thrown into this role even though I made a pledge to her that I would find caregivers so she could continue being my wife and not my caregiver. I am forever grateful to her for her dedication and devotion to me and Ty. This was a very challenging time, and our mission at Bonus Years includes passing on our love and knowledge to help others that face similar circumstances.