How to Help Bryce Vallee
Here's a note from Mike Vallee:
WHAT HAPPENED:
Bryce wanted to do a few local races to tune up for the outdoor season. TWMX hosted a race this last Sunday at Pala Raceway. The day was going well; Bryce had already won the 450 Pro class and the first moto of the Pro Open class. He got the holeshot in the 2nd moto and was leading on the first lap. They were heading away from the grandstands towards the big step-up in the back of the track. There are a series of jumps leading back there. I saw him go over the first jump and disappear but didn’t see him going up the face of the next jump. The next thing I knew, several other riders disappeared over the jump as well; then I saw some bikes and bodies flying. Apparently, Bryce crashed somehow and was right in the landing area and got landed on by the next 4 or 5 riders. When I got there, it was horrible. It was obvious that the injuries were very serious. He was life-flighted to Palomar Trauma center. We then learned of the extent of the injuries: both femurs were snapped, his left elbow was completely shattered, a ruptured liver, ruptured kidney, broken collarbone, multiple fractures of the pelvis, fractures to parts of the lower spine, fractured scaphoid and nerve damage to the left arm and wrist. He was rushed to surgery around 7:30 Sunday evening and the orthopedic surgeon, Dr Paul Milling, came out 9 hours later in the early morning hours of Monday, fully drenched in sweat and blood, to tell us he thought it went well. They re-constructed the elbow with 3 plates and over 30 screws and put rods and screws down each of the femers. The liver and kidney seemed to stop bleeding so that was huge. He was taken to ICU and evaluated yesterday by the pelvic surgeon, Dr Jeffrey Smith, who felt that the pelvic and tail-bone fractures were better left alone at this time without another operation; same with the collarbone. He feels that unless something changes, those will hopefully heal without surgery. I just left the ICU a couple of hours ago, (Tues around noon), and his vital signs are OK. He is in a great deal of pain and is only semi-conscious, in and out due to the trauma and all of the pain meds. The positive things are that there doesn’t appear to be any head injury and the spinal column and neck seem to be OK. He can move his hands and feet and the right arm seems to be OK. Bryce will be in ICU for several more days assuming no complications, then he’ll be moved to a room where he can accept visitors. I will send another e-mail when that happens or you can check out Bryce’s Facebook page for updates: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bryce-Vallee/219206569988?ref=search&sid=100000320826112.1303419729..1
THANKS FOR ALL OF THE PRAYERS AND SUPPORT
It’s been overwhelming to see all of the support and love for Bryce. Many friends waited with us during the surgeries and provided a lot of comfort. We’d like to thank all of you on behalf of Bryce, our families and his sweetheart, Alissa. We’d especially like to thank Jesse, Zack, Travis Friestad, Travis Baker and his fiancé Kendall, Scott and John Parkinson of Panic Rev, Jeff Jetton, Conner, Lars, Heidi Baker, Alissa’s mom and sister, Omar Ochoa and everyone else whom I may have forgotten who came to the hospital and waited with us over the last day and a half (seems like a year and a half). Also, thanks to the hundreds of folks who have sent messages and prayers for Bryce. It means more than you know. We’d like to send prayers and best wishes to Trevor Ries and his family. Trevor was directly behind Bryce and suffered a collapsed lung and broken ribs in the crash. He is upstairs from us and, hopefully, will be discharged tomorrow. We have no real timetable for Bryce’s recovery but will let you know when we know more.
WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU OR TO HELP BRYCE?
Sometimes tragedy brings out the best in people and that certainly is the case here. Thanks, everyone, for asking and here are some suggestions and an event.
1. SEND A GREETING OR MESSAGE TO BRYCE: While he can’t read them yet, he will have plenty of time to catch up during his long rehabilitation and I know he will be touched by these. If you would like to send Bryce a personal message, please send to the e-mail address: vr814@yahoo.com
This is a separate address and can also be accessed through the contact page on his website: www.brycevalleemx.com
We may read some of these at his “Ride Day” this Saturday, April 7th at Milestone MX (more about this below)
2. HELP OUT FINANCIALLY: I’ve always insisted on great insurance for Bryce, considering what he does. However, even with best insurance, there will be quite a large out-of-pocket cost for him with deductibles, co-pays and certain things and services that aren’t covered before this is over. If you would like to help in this way, you could send Bryce a check in care of my office or donate directly on his web-site through his Pay-Pal account with a credit card or your own Pay-Pal account. The link for this is http://brycevalleemx.com/support-bryce-today/ Just click on the small, yellow “Donate” button on the lower left.
3. COME TO HIS RIDE DAY OR DONATE STUFF FOR THE RAFFLE AND SILENT AUCTION: Bryce’s mechanic and good friend, Omar Ochoa, and another good friend, Chase Lock, have organized a ride day this Saturday, April 7th, at Milestone MX. Here is a link for more information: /2012/04/03/bryce-vallee-ride-day
I understand that Troy Lee, Enzo Racing, Applied Racing, Dr D, Unit, Pro Taper, Truth, MSR, Ghetto, Transworld MX, Milestone and many others have generously donated items for the auction. Many other pro riders, amateur riders, friends, sponsors, and many others have already said they will be there to show support for Bryce. They will be filming the event and filming live greetings to show Bryce later on when he’s able to watch them. I know that will be very special for him. We really appreciate Omar, Chase and everyone else involved for doing this; it’s a very generous gesture and very touching for our families. If you have any questions or would like to donate items, contact Omar at ochoaomar123@yahoo.com or on his cell at 760 622-6883. Thanks guys!
On behalf of Bryce, our families, Alissa, and all of those close to Bryce, please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
