It can be both, cervical break with the cord inflicted with the break. Yes, it will be a long recovery, but hopefully like Victor, he will come back fine
the fact that he didnât need emergent decompression surgery is (hopefully) a good signâŠhoping he will make a full recovery.
There is a separate go fund me set up for Kevin for those who are not on Facebook.
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Everyone have been most generous to him. Contributions have far exceed first goals
I donated because he seems to be an awesome horseman and because life is uncertain. And because I have had friends suffer life-altering and life-ending accidents. I know how hard this can be.
Life is especially uncertain when one chooses to be involved with animals that can (often unintentionally) hurt, maim, or kill us. I donât really care if the donations exceed the goal, because I am sure the loss of income (especially at that level of the sport) will be enormous, even if he fully recovers (and I pray he will), and because my paltry donation supports someone who is by all accounts good in this business.
I hope if any of us (myself included) ever suffers a similar fate, people will rally around us too. This accident should hit home for every horse person. It is sad and it is scary, but it is a reality for anyone choosing to be involved with horses. Stuff happens.
ETA: I am addressing this not at you, but at those who think because goals are met they shouldnât donate.
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I had a friend who suffered a spinal cord injury in a motorcycle crash. This wasnât just a broken back/neck, but an actual injury to the spinal cord. The severity of a SC injury and what it can effect in terms of mobility vary greatly. That being said, the friend worked his butt off in Physical therapy, did loads of swimming with the help of floatation and friends and family. It helped his mobility greatly and helped him gain strength in limbs he otherwise wouldnât have. Despite all of that, he is confined to a wheelchair and paralyzed which is tremendously sad. But each injury like this is not one in the same
I pray for Kevin and his family. And I hope that in the coming weeks when the body begins to heal and the swelling decreases that there is drastic improvement for him.
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I broke mine at C-1 and C-2 close to the spinal cord in April and just getting back into the saddle⊠I know how this feels and for his family. I got lucky. And Medicare paid it all, but for Kevin,under 65 insurance will only pay so much. That was my reason to donate. To support him and his family. Best wishes to him. Pls everyone donate what you can.
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When you say insurance will only pay so much, what kind of money are we talking?? I am glad people are being so generous. It has made me wonder about hospital costs when accidents like this happen.
This is so sad. Itâs the scary thing about this sport.
I just renewed my daughters usef/ Ushja memberships for a show & I was offered insurance that covers accidents at a usef event. I believe the insurance was $18 for the year. Has anyone gotten this extra insurance & had to use it?
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Without knowing what kind of health insurance he has, itâs hard to know for sure.
But health insurance basically never pays for the ancillary costs for this type of injury: Time off from work, home modifications and long-term care.
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****Update from Dianna Babington on Kevin ****
Today I sit in this hospital living the darkest hour of my life. Kevin is enduring a five hour surgery to stabilize the bones in his neck. He has suffered a complete injury to his cervical spine and today is to prevent him from living in a cervical collar. My hope for him is focused on quality of life and that there will be clinical trials to help him move forward. Much of these avenues are not covered by insurance and will be dependent on private funding.
I am sharing this because I want people to understand that the fundraising is essential. It can mean the difference in equipment available to him, therapies, vehicles, honestly I donât even know. I am navigating in the dark focusing on breathing and literally existing as we navigate hour by hour the information we are receiving.
What has occurred is probably the worst thing that could have happened to him. If you know him you know he is talented but humble, kind, private, and giving among all things. He was the friend that tried to donate a kidney when one was needed. He is the trainer that didnât charge the kid he knew couldnât afford the lesson. He is a vegetarian because he found slaughter impossible to support and is so empathetic to living things he couldnât eat them. He literally helped me give shots of antibiotics to a fish with swim bladder ( not joking) when our daughters fish was upside down. He stops to take turtles off the road. Stops to assist when a horse trailer has a flat. He ran from two rings away to help save a horseâs leg that was caught in a roll-top after a spill.
So many of you have more stories to retell of how he helped you than I even know. Above all things he is a great father and life partner and as he lays here he is panicking about the three of us instead of himself. I am so thankful for all the support we have received there are no words. Sadly, I saw some people commenting about âwhy should we donate to some rich guy with a five million dollar horseâÂ. Kevin is a rich guy he is rich in knowledge, friends, love, support, and devotion from his loved ones. He is not financially rich and has no ability to provide an income.
The cold reality is we are desperately trying to raise money for medical and rehabilitation which I have been told can be staggering. It will be a long, challenging, journey ahead. I want to thank everyone for every prayer, kind word and thought and every dollar that has been donated so far. I remain hopeful that as the body heals his condition will improve.
Please keep praying that as time passes we will receive a miracle. I am getting messages with stories of people walking and moving after worse injuries. Hope is all I have left and I am hanging onto it with everything I have.
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Wow. This is so sad. Praying for him and his family in this awful time.
Absolutely heartbreaking.
Hang in there Dianna!
I hope you can feel the love and hope that so many people are sending your way.
Somewhat ironically, Kevin was quoted in this article in the Times about the expenses involved in horse shows like the Hampton Classic. Still hoping for the best possible outcome for him and his family.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/31/style/hampton-classic-horse-show.html?searchResultPosition=1
That article was disturbing with all the outrageous prices like $4000 board and several $5 million horses. I hope NYT will soon have a positive horse show life story.
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So sad and what makes it so much more maddening is that if he doesnât have platinum insurance (as in government type coverage), heâs looking at everything being nickeled and dimed away. These cases should be a wake up call to everyone who is opposed to national health insurance because we shouldnât have to âfund raiseâ for something as fundamental as health. Just my opinion.
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This. Itâs so hard to see people need to fund raise to have important health care costs covered.
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Very sad. He just had a segment on the practical horseman podcast a couple weeks ago if anyone wants to hear him speak about his upbringing, career, etc.
I will have to find that one. I was just listening to his podcast on the Plaid Horse from last year a few days ago, before I heard about his accident. And thinking that he was such a good guy who deserved all his success.
