May 19, 2015
A fundraising page has been set up to help Kingaroy motocross rider Joel Evans and his family following a crash in South Australia on Sunday which has left the young racer critically injured and in intensive care.
Joel, 20, crashed heavily while qualifying for Round 4 of the MX Nationals at Murray Bridge.
He apparently lost control after a jump while coming into the “whoops” (basically a string of big dirt speed bumps).
The bike swung back and smashed into Joel’s head, shattering the critical C5 vertebrae in his neck and severing an artery.
He was stabilised by the Suzuki Racesafe team on site before being airlifted to Adelaide Hospital where he was placed into an induced coma on arrival.
The former Kingaroy High School student underwent several rounds of surgery on Sunday and Monday to relieve pressure on the spinal cord and to insert screws and plates into his neck.
“He obviously remains heavily sedated and is to stay on ventilators until we’re sure he can breathe on his own,” his family shared on Facebook.
“When sedation was a bit lower … he was able to take a few breaths on his own. He opened his eyes and God bless him he obeyed commands to blink and could move toes and right hand fingers.
“He has a really long road ahead and we are here with him the whole way.”
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