Tatonka
08-10-2007, 08:32 AM
Chris Blais Recovery Fund
http://www.blaisracing.com/assets/images/ChrisPodium07.jpg
This excerpt was taken from the Best In The Desert website www.BITD.com (http://www.BITD.com)
TSCO “Vegas to Reno” Pre-Fun Run Injury update:
As many of you know, Christopher Blais, our Open Pro rider N16, was injured early Sunday morning during the pre-fun run. He’s not sure what he hit but it was a single person accident at mile marker 255, just coming out of the Miller’s Pit. David Pearson was riding with him and there were people on site with Chris getting help. Donald Jackson, our Race Steward, was on site managing the accident and an EMT team was dispatched out of Tonopah and a medical helicopter came out of Reno to transport Chris. Chris fractured his 7th vertebrae; he had surgery Sunday night and we are all waiting to see how Chris heals. He is with his wife Patty, his friend Quinn Cody and his parents are in Reno with Chris. Patty and Chris would like to extend their thanks to everyone that was on the scene to help, everyone that has called to help and they are overwhelmed with all of the concern, and your thoughts and prayers. Also, all of us at Best In The Desert would like to thank everyone that stopped to help, we understand the BJ Baldwin team stopped, we have their medical bag, thank you to Steve Olliges for calling his doctor friends and getting things to happen in Reno and I know there are many more of you that helped. That is what makes off-road racing so great, it’s you, all of our racers, because we are a family out there and there isn’t anyone involved with Best In The Desert that wouldn’t help anyone of us, unfortunately this time it was Chris. Again, just keep praying for Chris to make a full recovery.
http://yogoi.smugmug.com/photos/181135277-L.jpg
This post was taken from http://www.advrider.com and is from Chris' wife Patty:
THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU! Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. The positive feed from all of you is helping us get through this rough spot.
Chris is amazing. He is keeping me positive and I'm trying to do be so strong for him. The first thing he said was he has no regrets. The second thing he said was that maybe some day he will save someone else's life by being a good example by wearing the Leatt Neck Brace. He truly feels this thing saved his life. Cyril had asked him on Day 1 of the pre-run if they should wear the braces (because he didn't know how fast/slow they would be pre-running) - Chris said "We need to wear them always. We are setting an example." Cyril understood. The next thing he did was give David/Quinn a handheld radio to carry with them and also one for himself/Cyril. He saved his own life!
Basically what happened was Chris was in silt and hit a square-edge. He said he was only going about 50mph. He did a nose-wheelie for quite a ways trying to save it. He went over the bars hitting head first then his head folded to the left, breaking his collar bone and the neck brace. It takes 1500 pounds of pressure to break the brace. It did it's job. The next thing that happened was that the bike landed on Chris, crushing in into the ground stomach side up. This is probably what broke his T7 vertabre. Some of the fragments of bone from the T7 were "resting" on/in his spinal cord like splinters causing the leg numbness. He never lost consciousness while down on the ground but said to Johnny and Quinn "I need a helicopter". Johnny and Quinn would not let Chris be taken out of the desert any other way (because at one point there were talks of driving him out to the highway by the EMT's and others from what I understand).
This all happened about 30 miles north of Tonopah, NV. This is a very rural area and also part of the problem of us trying to get the help Chris needed. Nobody's fault but just saying, things could have gone way more wrong and thank God for all of the people that were there with him and from what I understand, there were quite a handful of bike guys and truck racers. THANK YOU To these people!
The surgery took 4 hours and the splinters were removed and the T7 was fused to the other vertabre. The surgery was done immediately on Sunday night by a very known specialist here in Reno. He said the surgery went perfectly and it could not have gone any better. Thank you Mr. Song!
Now we wait. We wait for the swelling to go down and for the healing to continue.
Chris has been doing great the whole time. He is not hooked up to any machines at all at this point. As of last night, he was moved from ICU to critical care where he has his own private room. Yes he's sore and yes he's ready to jump up but just can't right now. He's been sitting up for hours at a time and is able to do many things by himself. They are pushing him along and he is doing everything that is asked of him times 10. He wants to get to rehab to start the process. They have never once said that his leg numbness is permanent - never once.
TRULY THANK YOU. There is no other sport in the world like ours, none. Where in the world would people who don't even know you offer you their home and their vehicles or come to visit you because they also race but maybe a horse or a midget car or a boat. People are just incredible and it's blowing us away!
Chris wants David and Quinn to still race Vegas to Reno and is pushing for them to do so. We're pushing for Cyril too maybe as a solo ride or with someone else. He wants life to move forward for everyone and does not want his accident to cause any pauses in KTM's plan, his plan, or anyone else's life plans and goals. He also wants me to still race it with my team but I can't. I would not be focused at all.
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers and continue to support my husband as you all have already been doing. His character is going to help his healing process. His attitude will help mine.
Not sure when I will post again but I will read them.
Thank you and God Bless!
"Our greatest Glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we do!"
__________________
Patty Blais
We will miss you, Elmer ~
You and your silly accent.
http://PattyMooreRacing.com/
Donations can be made in any of the following 3 ways:
1. By mailing a check, made payable to the RiderDown Foundation to:
RiderDown Foundation
Helping Chris Blais Fund
30296 Buffalo Park Road
Evergreen, CO 80439
2. Online contributions and best wishes to the family can be made at; www.RiderDown.org. Go to the Make a Donation tab and include the name Blais in the message box.
3. Or, below you will find a direct PayPal link for your convenience.
You can use your PayPal account or credit card if not a Paypal member.
Chris Blais Recovery Fund
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_xclick&business=donate%40riderdown%2eorg&item_name=Chris%20Blais%20Recovery%20Fund&no_shipping=0&return=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2eriderdown%2eorg%2frdfstore%2findex%2ephp%3fmain_page%3dcheckout_process&tax=0¤cy_code=USD&lc=US&bn=PP%2dDonationsBF&charset=UTF%2d8
On behalf of Chris & Patty Blais and the entire RiderDown Family, a sincere thank you goes out to all who help in any way. Without people like you, we would not be able to help those injured in this sport that we have all come to know and love.
http://www.riderdown.org/forum/photopost/data/500/thumbs/RDF_2007_BW.jpg
The RiderDown Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping responsible off road motorcyclists and ATV racers who have been injured while riding. Proceeds are used to provide assistance to the riders and their families when faced with medical expenses and related issues.
!=!
http://www.blaisracing.com/assets/images/ChrisPodium07.jpg
This excerpt was taken from the Best In The Desert website www.BITD.com (http://www.BITD.com)
TSCO “Vegas to Reno” Pre-Fun Run Injury update:
As many of you know, Christopher Blais, our Open Pro rider N16, was injured early Sunday morning during the pre-fun run. He’s not sure what he hit but it was a single person accident at mile marker 255, just coming out of the Miller’s Pit. David Pearson was riding with him and there were people on site with Chris getting help. Donald Jackson, our Race Steward, was on site managing the accident and an EMT team was dispatched out of Tonopah and a medical helicopter came out of Reno to transport Chris. Chris fractured his 7th vertebrae; he had surgery Sunday night and we are all waiting to see how Chris heals. He is with his wife Patty, his friend Quinn Cody and his parents are in Reno with Chris. Patty and Chris would like to extend their thanks to everyone that was on the scene to help, everyone that has called to help and they are overwhelmed with all of the concern, and your thoughts and prayers. Also, all of us at Best In The Desert would like to thank everyone that stopped to help, we understand the BJ Baldwin team stopped, we have their medical bag, thank you to Steve Olliges for calling his doctor friends and getting things to happen in Reno and I know there are many more of you that helped. That is what makes off-road racing so great, it’s you, all of our racers, because we are a family out there and there isn’t anyone involved with Best In The Desert that wouldn’t help anyone of us, unfortunately this time it was Chris. Again, just keep praying for Chris to make a full recovery.
http://yogoi.smugmug.com/photos/181135277-L.jpg
This post was taken from http://www.advrider.com and is from Chris' wife Patty:
THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU! Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. The positive feed from all of you is helping us get through this rough spot.
Chris is amazing. He is keeping me positive and I'm trying to do be so strong for him. The first thing he said was he has no regrets. The second thing he said was that maybe some day he will save someone else's life by being a good example by wearing the Leatt Neck Brace. He truly feels this thing saved his life. Cyril had asked him on Day 1 of the pre-run if they should wear the braces (because he didn't know how fast/slow they would be pre-running) - Chris said "We need to wear them always. We are setting an example." Cyril understood. The next thing he did was give David/Quinn a handheld radio to carry with them and also one for himself/Cyril. He saved his own life!
Basically what happened was Chris was in silt and hit a square-edge. He said he was only going about 50mph. He did a nose-wheelie for quite a ways trying to save it. He went over the bars hitting head first then his head folded to the left, breaking his collar bone and the neck brace. It takes 1500 pounds of pressure to break the brace. It did it's job. The next thing that happened was that the bike landed on Chris, crushing in into the ground stomach side up. This is probably what broke his T7 vertabre. Some of the fragments of bone from the T7 were "resting" on/in his spinal cord like splinters causing the leg numbness. He never lost consciousness while down on the ground but said to Johnny and Quinn "I need a helicopter". Johnny and Quinn would not let Chris be taken out of the desert any other way (because at one point there were talks of driving him out to the highway by the EMT's and others from what I understand).
This all happened about 30 miles north of Tonopah, NV. This is a very rural area and also part of the problem of us trying to get the help Chris needed. Nobody's fault but just saying, things could have gone way more wrong and thank God for all of the people that were there with him and from what I understand, there were quite a handful of bike guys and truck racers. THANK YOU To these people!
The surgery took 4 hours and the splinters were removed and the T7 was fused to the other vertabre. The surgery was done immediately on Sunday night by a very known specialist here in Reno. He said the surgery went perfectly and it could not have gone any better. Thank you Mr. Song!
Now we wait. We wait for the swelling to go down and for the healing to continue.
Chris has been doing great the whole time. He is not hooked up to any machines at all at this point. As of last night, he was moved from ICU to critical care where he has his own private room. Yes he's sore and yes he's ready to jump up but just can't right now. He's been sitting up for hours at a time and is able to do many things by himself. They are pushing him along and he is doing everything that is asked of him times 10. He wants to get to rehab to start the process. They have never once said that his leg numbness is permanent - never once.
TRULY THANK YOU. There is no other sport in the world like ours, none. Where in the world would people who don't even know you offer you their home and their vehicles or come to visit you because they also race but maybe a horse or a midget car or a boat. People are just incredible and it's blowing us away!
Chris wants David and Quinn to still race Vegas to Reno and is pushing for them to do so. We're pushing for Cyril too maybe as a solo ride or with someone else. He wants life to move forward for everyone and does not want his accident to cause any pauses in KTM's plan, his plan, or anyone else's life plans and goals. He also wants me to still race it with my team but I can't. I would not be focused at all.
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers and continue to support my husband as you all have already been doing. His character is going to help his healing process. His attitude will help mine.
Not sure when I will post again but I will read them.
Thank you and God Bless!
"Our greatest Glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we do!"
__________________
Patty Blais
We will miss you, Elmer ~
You and your silly accent.
http://PattyMooreRacing.com/
Donations can be made in any of the following 3 ways:
1. By mailing a check, made payable to the RiderDown Foundation to:
RiderDown Foundation
Helping Chris Blais Fund
30296 Buffalo Park Road
Evergreen, CO 80439
2. Online contributions and best wishes to the family can be made at; www.RiderDown.org. Go to the Make a Donation tab and include the name Blais in the message box.
3. Or, below you will find a direct PayPal link for your convenience.
You can use your PayPal account or credit card if not a Paypal member.
Chris Blais Recovery Fund
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_xclick&business=donate%40riderdown%2eorg&item_name=Chris%20Blais%20Recovery%20Fund&no_shipping=0&return=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2eriderdown%2eorg%2frdfstore%2findex%2ephp%3fmain_page%3dcheckout_process&tax=0¤cy_code=USD&lc=US&bn=PP%2dDonationsBF&charset=UTF%2d8
On behalf of Chris & Patty Blais and the entire RiderDown Family, a sincere thank you goes out to all who help in any way. Without people like you, we would not be able to help those injured in this sport that we have all come to know and love.
http://www.riderdown.org/forum/photopost/data/500/thumbs/RDF_2007_BW.jpg
The RiderDown Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping responsible off road motorcyclists and ATV racers who have been injured while riding. Proceeds are used to provide assistance to the riders and their families when faced with medical expenses and related issues.
!=!