Anthony James Hales Road to Recovery Fund

Hello,

We are John and Katrina Hales. The brother and sister of Anthony Hales. For those of you who know Anthony no description is needed because you already know what an amazing human being he is. At only 27 years old, Anthony is a veteran, an incredible brother, and the best uncle any niece or nephew could ever ask for. His family is one of the most important things in his life. He has a magnetic personality, an incredible sense of humor, and genuinely cares about just making people happy and seeing someone smile. Speaking of smiles, just one of his beautiful smiles could change your mood and brighten your day. It’s probably cliché, but Anthony is the type of person to give you the shirt off his back.

On August 12, 2023, our brother Anthony was involved in a devastating motorcycle accident. He was launched off his motorcycle, fell 75ft off the I-5/Morrison Bridge in Portland, Oregon, and landed onto a moving truck’s trailer below the bridge. The impact was so severe that he broke through the fiberglass skin and bent the support beams. He then, from what we assume was an adrenaline-fueled crawl, made his way to the edge of the trailer, where he fell another 10ft onto concrete pavement, hitting his head and causing further injuries to his body. Finally, after an unknown amount of time lying on the concrete had passed, a 911 call was made reporting a bike in the middle of the roadway at the top of the bridge with no rider present. Police and EMS arrived on the scene to find him under the bridge, unconscious and seizing.

Upon arrival at the hospital, Anthony was found to have suffered a severe Traumatic Brain Injury with intracranial hemorrhages, head lacerations, a C7 Spinal Fracture, T8/T9 fracture-dislocation, injuries to his lungs, kidneys, broken ribs, a broken ankle, a broken fibula, and multiple external bodily injuries. Anthony was then placed in a medically induced coma and transferred to the Neuro Trauma Intensive Care Unit.

Anthony’s T8/T9 vertebrae were shattered upon impact and his spinal cord was severed. On 8/14 he underwent surgery and had a T7/T11 laminectomy and a T6/T10 spinal fusion. He will be completely paralyzed from the ribcage down leaving him a paraplegic for the rest of his life.

Anthony’s spinal surgery went well, but on 8/16-8/17 Anthony’s lung injuries became life-threatening, and he developed Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), mucous plugging, and pneumonia in his lungs. He was then placed on ECMO, a life support machine, as his lungs were unable to transfer enough oxygen despite the help of a ventilator. During this period, Anthony's heart unexplainably stopped for 8 seconds. His lungs were able to regain strength and ECMO was discontinued on 8/24, but the infection remains persistent. He has received a tracheotomy and has been placed on specialty ventilation machines.

Anthony currently has a daily regimen of antibiotics, daily sedations, and bronchoscopies to clear the infections and mucous that have been delaying his recovery. He has gone through multiple full-body paralysis and sedation treatments to heal his lungs. His progress has been slow but steady over the last few weeks.

We do not know to what extent Anthony will be able to recover from his brain injuries yet; however, his Traumatic Brain Injury (Diffuse Axonal Injury) has been described to us as “his brain being rung out like a sponge”. This injury, compounding with the long-term side effects from his lung complications and treatments, will complicate his course of recovery. We have been told he will suffer from impairment of motor skills and the rest is to be determined as he becomes more alert. When sedation is at its lowest Anthony was able to recognize us and other members of our family as well as squeeze our hands and give a thumbs up to simple asks with the use of his right arm.

Anthony has always been very physically active. Fitness is a passion of his and he spent most of his free time in the gym, boxing, or playing basketball with his niece. Anthony also just recently developed an enthusiasm for cooking and enjoyed creating new recipes for us to test out. He was considering attending culinary school. This will be a long road to recovery for Anthony. We don’t know what the future holds, as his condition is still very fragile, and things must be taken day by day.

We started this fundraising campaign to proactively help with costs for Anthony’s inevitable incoming medical bills and any equipment/treatments/needs that insurance will not cover. We are starting with a goal to raise $200,000 but will adjust that figure as expenses become clearer. We will also be using this page to post status updates, so please keep checking in!

We deeply and humbly appreciate the outpouring of support and prayers we have received during this extremely difficult and heartbreaking time. If you can find it in your heart to donate, I’m sure as soon as he can, Anthony will thank you personally and brighten your day with one of his beautiful smiles.

Thank you for your support,

John G Hales, Katrina E Hales