Rally around Ryan

My name is Lisa Rougeot and I am writing this for my son Ryan. A month ago my son had a swimming accident in a man-made lake, and hit his head on the bottom. As he fought his way to the surface, he began yelling for help. A close friend then came to his aid, helping him out of the water. There an ambulance was called and he was rushed to Sierra Vista Hospital's in San Luis Obispo. No Mom ever wants to hear the ER doctor say your son has broke his neck. He has suffered significant neck damage, in two places a C1 Jefferson fracture and a C5 split fracture, as well as a concussion. He was placed in ICU where he stayed for a week. Due to the severity of the breaks the neurosurgeon decided not to operate at this time as it would cause major complications for the rest of his life. He was put in a halo brace. A halo brace is a device which is screwed into the skull in 4 places to keep the neck moving. He was then transferred to Santa Barbara Rehabilitation Hospital to regain his mobility and perform everyday tasks. Ryan is home now with his younger sister and myself caring for him during his recovery. Upon his arrival home we noticed he had blood draining from the screws. His sister rushed him back to the emergency room. They then had to remove the Halo brace and once again screw it back into his skull. I am thanking God everyday that Ryan is not paralyzed. Ryan's journey in addressing this situation is just beginning. He will have many Doctor visits to see if the vertebrae are fusing properly, we are praying he doesn't need surgery. This will be a long road of healing and physical therapy to regain strength in his neck, arms and legs. Ryan is having severe neck pain and excruciating headaches everyday. It breaks my heart to see my son in such pain. He is such a sweet, kind, caring, hardworking person and even though he is in tremendous pain he keeps a positive attitude. This horrible accident is such a traumatic situation for a 29 year old to face alone. Please consider donating during this difficult time, your donations will be used for medical expenses and medical necessities. Please pray for Ryan's recovery and private message me if you would like my address to send him a card or a letter of encouragement. This horrific accident will forever change his life. Please help me rally around Ryan and let's give him all the love, support, and prayers he needs. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and please share this page.