A local teen has a long recovery ahead of him after a hiking accident nearly took his life earlier this month.
Kyler Hoodicoff fell off a cliff in Castlegar on Sept. 5. His injuries are extensive and include bleeding in the brain, a broken hip, seven breaks in one leg, two broken feet/ankles, facial injuries and a punctured lung.
Hoodicoff was flown to Kelowna General Hospital within hours of the accident and doctors operated for about seven hours that first night to stop the bleeding in his brain.
The right side of his face was shattered to the extent that bone fragments reached his brain and he lost vision in his eye.
Hoodicoff has undergone numerous surgeries to try and repair his right leg, which he could still possibly lose as circulation in the leg is poor.
But Hoodicofff is a fighter — he has regained consciousness and has even made a few jokes.
“Kyler, he has been so strong and he is young, he has come a long way and is taking one day at a time,” said his mom Marla Hoodicoff on a GoFundMe update.
He has even improved enough to be transferred to the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital in Trail to be closer to his family, which has been a relief to his mom who has been juggling caring for her injured son with caring for her three other children including a seven-month-old baby.
The extent of Hoodicoff’s brain damage will not be known for weeks to come and he faces more procedures down the road including facial reconstruction surgery.
Family and friends have come up with several ways to help support the family including a GoFundMe campaign — Kyler Hoodicoff’s Fight to Recovery, and a Meal Train plan.
Meal Train offers a coordinated way for people to help the family out by providing meals. People can go to mealtrain.com/train/00MMW4 and sign up for an available night.
Monetary donations will go towards helping the family with their travel-related expenses and rehabilitation expenses such as equipment and home modifications.
“He has strong family, friends and community behind him who are helping him to stay positive and who have helped us get through this so far,” said Marla. “Our love for each other, faith and support is strong, and everyone who has sent messages, the meals, everything, is a huge contributing factor as it has allowed us to focus on caring for Kyler and has lifted our — and his spirit — through this difficult time.”
A local business is also joining in on the fundraising front.
Columbia Truck and Tire is dedicating the proceeds from its annual barbecue and car show fundraiser to the Hoodicoff family.
The event will take place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Columbia Truck’s 2205 14th Ave. industrial park location.
The car show features hot rods and antique cars from local car clubs and visitors can make a donation in exchange for a hamburger. There will also be a draw for a free set of Goodyear tires.