My dad isn’t a religious man and he’d probably be mortified at the thought that I was writing a blog post even asking for thoughts and prayers …

but …. that being said.

My dad was in a horrible snow skiing accident yesterday (Friday, April 8th) in Keystone, Colorado — on his last ski day of the season.  In fact, it was his last run of the season.   He was on one of my favorite runs —  Flying Dutchman.  It’s a great run — it’s steep, it has no bumps and you can go super fast.   On our ski trip we liked to go top to bottom as fast as we could.

We don’t know the details of the accident — but I know he hit a snow-making pole with his head.  I can only imagine how fast he was going.    I am so very thankful for the ski helmet that he was wearing.  I haven’t seen the helmet — but it sounds like it was completely unrecognizable.  It saved his life.    He doesn’t remember the accident.  He doesn’t remember the ski patrol taking him down the mountain.  He doesn’t remember being life-flighted to Denver (which I can only imagine is the scariest helicopter ride of his life).

He has a broken rib, an orbital fracture, a maxillary sinus fracture, he has thirty stitches on the left side of his face and he is currently in the trauma ICU in Denver.   He had spinal surgery on Saturday morning as his spinal cord continued to swell and he had neurological changes throughout the night.  During the surgery, they fused C4-C7.

He will remain in trauma ICU for several weeks and then he will be transferred to Craig Hospital in Denver which is a specific rehabilitation hospital for spinal cord injuries.

Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.   Pray for a speedy recovery.  Pray he starts to breathe on his own.

{please pray for my dad}

Pray he gets feeling back in his hands.   Pray he keeps his spirits up.