Help Scrub Daddy's Road to Recovery

On August 7, “Scrub Daddy” Smith had a horrific motocross crash at Cahuilla Creek MX Park. Scrub Daddy was knocked unconscious and remained so for over 30 minutes, and as such, the paramedics on site made the call to have him transported via helicopter to Desert Regional Hospital in Palm Springs. At the trauma center, it was determined that Scruby had suffered a traumatic brain injury, with multiple areas of his brain bleeding. He was kept heavily sedated for several days to allow his brain to rest without stimulation. Once he was awake a few days later and able to communicate, more tests were done after he indicated pain in his shoulder, and damage to his rotator cuff was discovered via MRI.

Scrub Daddy remained at Desert Regional for nearly two weeks before he was sent to Encompass Health Rehabilitation in Murietta to begin his long road to recovery. A hiccup with his health saw him admitted to Loma Linda University Medical Center, where he underwent several more tests to monitor the injuries to his brain. Thank God, the bleeding had stopped, but no two TBIs are the same, and unlike broken bones that mend in six weeks, there is no way to predict how each person will recover. Currently, Scrub Daddy is back at Encompass to finish his two-week therapy session that is covered by his health insurance. When that comes to an end—no matter his level of progress—Scrub Daddy will be sent home.

Support for Scrub Daddy from day one has been unbelievable. To his family, Scrub Daddy is “Big Geezer,” but to so many motocross enthusiasts around the world, Scrub Daddy’s infectious love for life and everything two-wheeled has made him a daily source of inspiration and entertainment. Social media really has made the world a smaller place. We are all touched and humbled by the love and support that has flowed in from everywhere; we’ve gotten messages from as far away as Asia, Europe, and Africa!

To be clear, Scrub Daddy does have good health insurance. It would be irresponsible to practically live on a motocross bike without it. However, it is yet to be seen how much insurance will cover of the helicopter transport, the 21 days in ICU, and limited therapy sessions at Encompass.

Beyond all of this, Scrub Daddy's return to complete health and happiness is our number-one priority. Though he has made massive strides in his recovery, he is still not the same Scrub Daddy who we all know and love. We are currently researching several Neuro Rehabilitation facilities that specialize in TBI recovery that have been recommended by people with experience. These facilities, of course, are not covered by insurance.

From the day Scruby was injured, many inquired about a GoFundMe account or other ways to support, but we all wanted to get a clearer look at the challenges that lie ahead for our dear friend.

That said, if you are inclined to do so and are in a position to, I urge you to please help us get Scrub Daddy back to that same joke-cracking, photo-snapping, clutch-frying, God-loving Scrub Daddy that we all need in our lives.

Thanks for your support. DMand crew