Support Casey Tynan's Road to Recovery

Dear Friends,

Casey broke his back mountain biking. To help support his recovery, we decided to start this fund for him. His story is below.

~Kathy and Glenn Tynan (mom and dad)

Brevard NC

My name is Casey Tynan. I am the owner/operator of Lake Tahoe Tours and Rentals in Zephyr Cove, Nevada. On June 22, 2024, my company was one of the sponsors at the Tahoe Mountain Bike Festival. During the Mountain Bike Demo, we shuttled riders to and from the event. We had a great time.

The second day of the Festival was June 23. It was such a fun time. After most people had left though, around 6 pm, I took some time to play and set up a jump that I thought I could flip. Unfortunately, that flip didn't go as planned. I landed hard. I was taken by ambulance to the South Lake Tahoe Airport where I was life-flighted by helicopter to Renown Hospital in Reno.

Straight to x-ray and then to emergency surgery. The impact had shattered my L1 vertebrae and impacted others. A hematoma pressed against my spinal cord and damaged nerves. They fused L1 to T12 with 8 screws and 2 plates. My muscles aren’t firing the same just yet. I can't feel my pelvis, and my feet feel like they are on fire and freezing at the same time. Feels like I'm walking on pins and needles, but amazingly, even though I can't feel my pelvis, I can walk. Two out of seven muscles in my right leg are not paralyzed, and four are good in the left, but I am working hard in PT to improve my walk and to retrain all basic motor functions. We’re hopeful that when the swelling comes down, the feeling in my pelvis will return.

The doctors gave me a discouraging outlook for recovery, but I will be back stronger than ever and prove them wrong. I promise.

In the rehab hospital, I've learned a lot about spinal cord injury. Because of the extensive nerve damage, I now know that this recovery can be lengthy and demanding. There is no way of knowing how long the recovery time may be. It's different for each person. For now, I'll be in rehab till July 19, and then outpatient PT will be scheduled.

My spirits are high though. I have faith that this will bring unexpected opportunities. I anticipate mindful lessons with every challenge, and I am ready for all God has planned. I've been practicing patience, focus, and observance. I'm aware of lessons to learn and am grateful. I give thanks to God that I'm walking and that I have a second chance.

These are life-changing moments. I think we all have them in one way or another. We can either fight or roll with it. I'm choosing to fight. We are the biggest motivators in our lives. Roy from the High Fives Foundation told me don’t try to rewind; it won’t help. Just press play and move forward. Show yourself you can achieve anything.

My goal is to build back stronger than ever so I can get back doing what I love - action sports and adventures.

Reaching my goal will take lots of mental and physical strength, but I am determined. Commitment isn't the concern right now though. I am worried about the extra expenses that haven't been included in my yearly/monthly budget. There will be unexpected medical bills, extra devices, daily supplies and adaptive equipment needed. I've been told that physical therapy will be at least for the next 6-12 months. It's hard to know what these extra costs will be, but I do know that they aren't in my budget. For this reason, I'm reaching out for some help. This fund will help cover those costs.

Thank you to everyone for supporting me and again to everyone who has been coming to visit. I especially want to thank my amazing team who have been holding down the fort while I am recovering. It truly is a blessing to have such a great support group, including my parents who always have my back, and for my mom who flew out to be with me.

If you have the ability to help out during this time, I would be forever grateful. Thankful also for your prayers and support.

I'll be back.