A Kelowna man left paralyzed and without work after a motorcycle crash is pleading to the public for help.
It’s been over six months since Steven Margetts was involved in a serious collision which would change his life. On May 18, Margetts and friends were riding their dirt bikes on a series of trails outside Hope.
Riding fast out front of his group, he lost control, launching off the trail in fifth gear. Flying down the mountainside, he crashed face-first into a boulder, before tumbling down the slope and stopping in a creek. A friend close by noticed him and was able to call for help, however, Margetts couldn’t move.
“Blood was filling up my lungs from all the facial breaks, but I decided I wasn’t dying on that trail,” he said.
“I didn’t know at the time by my spine was broken in three areas, broken ribs and several breaks in my face. I needed help fast.”
Emergency services airlifted Margetts to Vancouver General Hospital, where a 13-hour emergency face surgery was performed. He had broken his two eye-sockets, upper and lower jaw, both mandibles, nose in several places and also fractured the back of his skull upon impact.
He had also broken his spine in three areas, which left him paralyzed from the waist down.
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Since then, he has been in recovery. Most recently, the Kelowna man underwent a successful nerve transfer surgery on Nov. 18, to allow more use of his hands and arms. This is expected to take up to nine months to heal.
A GoFundMe has been started in an attempt to assist Margetts with increased costs and absence from work. Before this life-changing accident, he worked as a carpenter, building homes from foundation to finish.
“I would love to continue building as it is my passion… Not working for six months has been difficult financially, but I am determined to be successful after this setback.”
Margetts, who said he wouldn’t let anyone else create a fundraiser for him, published this story on his GoFundMe page at its creation three days ago (Nov. 30). He is seeking funds to make his home wheelchair friendly and afford medical equipment.
So far, about $4,000 of the $30,000 goal has been raised.
To view the GoFundMe, click here. To search for the fundraiser, look up ‘Help Steve get back on his feet again’ on GoFundMe.
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