Help Levi Ely recover after accident

Levi Ely was involved in a semi-truck related accident on his way to work, on the morning of Monday, January 10, 2022. Unfortunately, the wreck is still under investigation so we don’t have a lot of details at the moment that we would like to have but it happened on highway 33 just outside Logan in front of a rest area. It is believed that the vehicle he was driving collided with a semi at highway speed between 8:15-8:30am and Levi experienced a partial ejection of his head and hands through the windshield. He was pulled from the van and immediately airlifted to Grant Trauma Center in Columbus, Ohio. His wife, Val was notified by sheriff a little before 9am, at their residence, that he had been airlifted due crash, for facial injuries.

There was a news article published on Monday referencing the crash and stated that Levi was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of being pulled out. However, he sustained multiple injuries consistent with having been wearing his seatbelt at least part of the duration of impact. We don’t know enough about the actual accident and what happened. Levi has no memory of the crash. He remembers that he was pulled from the vehicle and sat on the ground before being lifted in the helicopter.

He sustained injuries to multiple areas, mainly on the right side of his body and face. The impact with the windshield split his face from halfway down the forehead to the very tip of his nose. He broke every bone in the nose and a fracture in the right sinus bone above his right eye brow. He injured ribs including fracture, and lacerated spleen, and some hematomas (internal bleeding) of the stomach. His right leg sustained multiple breaks from the knee down.

On Tuesday morning, 1/11/22 he was taken in for reconstruction of right leg below the knee, to reconstruct his nose and to stitch his face closed. He’s doing remarkably well considering the extent of the damage to the vehicle and what could have happened. Family who went later to gather his phone and belongings from the car were told they thought it was a fatality wreck and couldn’t believe Levi is alive. 

We are all still in a lot of shock from it all but Levi is a strong and determined father and husband and he’s already been working very hard to get going on his long road to recovery.

We don’t know the extent of our total financial needs at the moment but many people have asked if they can help in some way and where to give. There are going to be medical, legal, food, transportation and, of course, we have no idea when he might be able to return to work as a photographer for Bosca Accessories leather goods.

We intend to use this site for updates for family and friends to follow his path to recovery. We know he will be non-wt bearing for at least 6 weeks and much, much longer before he could drive again. They have said the therapy will be painful and intense but that they expect he can gain back all of the mobility he had pre-wreck. Which is truly amazing! Unfortunately, his career in nose modeling is shot. We know it was a miracle that Levi survived this accident. There have already been so many, many big and small miracles, including my decision not to ride with Levi (and bring the kids along) that morning. I changed my mind last-minute and we stayed home. Levi shouldn’t have lived through this accident, that’s the major one, but there have been little and big mercies; things that God has just been such a great Dad to us about. Like the fact I was running late Tuesday morning and due to covid restrictions I thought I had missed him being taken into surgery. But they took me back to PACU for 3 min and I was able to pray with him and kiss him before his surgeries began.  Those of you who know Levi well know that he’s got an internal furnace blazing 24/7. We always have a fan when we stay the night somewhere else. His room was the only room on the trauma unit that “just happened” to have a box fan in the corner, when we arrived. It was like a real-life Miracle On 34th Street moment. Lol! Thenurses said you can’t get these and that patients ask for them all the time. They don’t know how it got there. I do. ;)

So first of all; we cannot and will not share this story without sharing just how much that this was not pure luck. No such thing. We actually don’t believe in coincidences but these are inescapable. This was a Divine Intervention into our life, world, reality, as sometimes happens when our work here is not finished. Jesus stepped in using the help of Levi’s guardian Angel and only God knows just how many prayers saved him. I’ve not seen Levi’s Angel before but on my way to the hospital I was praying and got a distinct vision of the way his angel’s wings had wrapped around him and pulled him back from full ejection of the vehicle and certain death. I didn’t know at the time what he had endured or what his injuries were but when I realized how consistent they are with what I saw it was the most comforting feeling I’ve ever experienced. And I think that was the point. It was not yet Levi’s time to go and he’s very aware of this reality. But I’ve got a lot on my plate as well, and the Lord knew I needed to know that we aren’t alone, never have been and never will be. If anything, I would say to you all, trust in the Lord and that you all have your own guardian Angel (Matt 18:10) who will protect you if you ask. Ask God and your Angel to be with you at all times. We are strong believers in prayer. So prayer is the dearest and most precious gift we can ask of you, all other things come after that request. Levi’s got a lot more work to do here, and we want to be right next to him as he does it, we appreciate you all wanting to go with us through it.

We cannot thank you all enough for prayers, so don’t feel any obligation to give financially, we just wanted to have a site/link such as this to be able to share important updates and physical, mental, emotional, spiritual needs along with the financial piece as it becomes more clear how much will be needed to get us through this crazy storm of change and unknowns. Some have asked for email for e-cards, or address for mailing cards. My email is [email redacted]. Some have asked about venmo, which we do have an account: @valcately.

Our mailing address is

33041 Oliver Rd,
Logan Ohio 43138, USA

Many of you know that I used to work in photography as well, but because of the covid epidemic and along with a general desire to do so previously, I homeschool our 3 children and am not currently bringing in income. Our kiddos are Jude 14, Piper 12, Rilo 9. So it’s actually a blessing that school is able to be mobile for them at this time. We have an hour drive into Columbus and are still figuring out logistics. The vehicle totaled was our main vehicle, as our secondary one needs a new engine. (You know how Murphy’s Law works sometimes) ;) but are able to borrow for now from a couple of family members so that is a blessing, too! And we will know more soon about what life looks like for our new normal, I hope!

Humbly In His Hands, sending you all virtual hugs and love and many, many thanks for your prayers and support. 

Val Ely

Romans 8:38-39