Bridget's Ride to Recovery
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After graduating college in May, Bridget Anderson dedicated her summer to riding her bicycle from Maine to California with Bike & Build, a non-profit organization that helps young adults raise awareness about the affordable housing crisis.
On July 30th, over 2,000 miles into her cross-country cycling trip, she and her friend and fellow rider, Patrick Wanninkhof, were struck from behind by a car near the Oklahoma/Texas border. The driver later told police she was distracted by her cell phone. Patrick died at the scene of the crash. Bridget was airlifted to the nearest trauma center, in Oklahoma City.
As a result of this tragedy, Bridget is now faced with prolonged recuperation from the life threatening injuries she sustained in the collision. In addition to a lengthy hospital stay as a trauma patient, Bridget’s immediate future will be dedicated to extensive rehabilitation and physical therapy in the attempt to regain the active lifestyle she has always enjoyed.
Regaining her strength will not be easy or fast. At the launch of this site, Bridget is going on her fourth week in the hospital. For the duration of her hospital stay, Bridget has been confined to her bed. She requires assistance when moving and adjusting her leg. Most recently, she successfully stood at the side of her bed and transferred to a wheelchair with the help of physical therapy. This was the first time she was out of a hospital bed for more than a few seconds in 25 days. She continues to work with physical therapy daily with the short term goal of moving to an inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Oklahoma and the long term goal of regaining her strength and independence and moving home.
We set up this GoFundMe page to help share some of the financial burden that Bridget will face over the coming months as she recovers. These funds with help defer the personal and family expenses associated with an extended ICU/hospital stay and inpatient rehab stay 1,300 miles from home, as well as her anticipated need for continued care when she is able to return home. With your support, Bridget has vowed to conquer these new obstacles before her with the same determination that she used to pedal herself from Portland, Maine to the western edge of Oklahoma, where this senseless collision occurred.
Additionally, the Anderson family would like to remind you to please stay off your phones when driving.
Here's is an overview of Bridget’s Injuries:
Her left leg suffered the most damage in the crash. Immediately following being airlifted to the hospital, the surgeons used a blood vessel from her right leg to successfully repair the artery that is responsible for bringing blood to the left leg below the knee. This repair saved her lower leg and has allowed the surgeons to continue with her other surgeries which have focused on reconstructing her knee.
The bottom part of her femur, that helps form the top of her knee joint, was broken. This was repaired with plates and screws and the orthopedic surgeons were very happy with how the pieces of bone came together. She dislocated and tore the ligaments in her knee. They scoped her knee, cleaned up the cartilage, and fixed her ligaments. In the future, she will likely require more knee surgeries. The nerve that is responsible for the muscles that point her toes and foot up at the ankle was damaged beyond repair. She will require surgery in the future to help alleviate the “foot drop” that comes with the inability to control that muscle. Reconstruction of the soft tissue behind the knee has also been started. The surgeons have used a flap to help with this and she had multiple skin grafts. The flap is a small, neighboring piece of skin, muscle and soft tissue that was moved to help cover the back of her knee and the vessel graft. The flap had to be revised, since part of it wasn’t getting enough blood flow. They continue to carefully watch this second flap.
Over the course of the first three and a half weeks of her hospitalization, she's had 7 surgeries in total with more expected. The next is scheduled for Thursday. Additionally, she has several broken bones in her foot and a broken lumbar vertebra. The bones in her foot will probably require surgery in the future. She is wearing a back brace as a precaution for the fracture in her lower back. Pain control has been a problem throughout the hospital stay, with some days being better than others. She’s working diligently with physical therapy to get stronger and mobile.
She is blessed to be surrounded by family and friends throughout her recovery.
On July 30th, over 2,000 miles into her cross-country cycling trip, she and her friend and fellow rider, Patrick Wanninkhof, were struck from behind by a car near the Oklahoma/Texas border. The driver later told police she was distracted by her cell phone. Patrick died at the scene of the crash. Bridget was airlifted to the nearest trauma center, in Oklahoma City.
As a result of this tragedy, Bridget is now faced with prolonged recuperation from the life threatening injuries she sustained in the collision. In addition to a lengthy hospital stay as a trauma patient, Bridget’s immediate future will be dedicated to extensive rehabilitation and physical therapy in the attempt to regain the active lifestyle she has always enjoyed.
Regaining her strength will not be easy or fast. At the launch of this site, Bridget is going on her fourth week in the hospital. For the duration of her hospital stay, Bridget has been confined to her bed. She requires assistance when moving and adjusting her leg. Most recently, she successfully stood at the side of her bed and transferred to a wheelchair with the help of physical therapy. This was the first time she was out of a hospital bed for more than a few seconds in 25 days. She continues to work with physical therapy daily with the short term goal of moving to an inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Oklahoma and the long term goal of regaining her strength and independence and moving home.
We set up this GoFundMe page to help share some of the financial burden that Bridget will face over the coming months as she recovers. These funds with help defer the personal and family expenses associated with an extended ICU/hospital stay and inpatient rehab stay 1,300 miles from home, as well as her anticipated need for continued care when she is able to return home. With your support, Bridget has vowed to conquer these new obstacles before her with the same determination that she used to pedal herself from Portland, Maine to the western edge of Oklahoma, where this senseless collision occurred.
Additionally, the Anderson family would like to remind you to please stay off your phones when driving.
Here's is an overview of Bridget’s Injuries:
Her left leg suffered the most damage in the crash. Immediately following being airlifted to the hospital, the surgeons used a blood vessel from her right leg to successfully repair the artery that is responsible for bringing blood to the left leg below the knee. This repair saved her lower leg and has allowed the surgeons to continue with her other surgeries which have focused on reconstructing her knee.
The bottom part of her femur, that helps form the top of her knee joint, was broken. This was repaired with plates and screws and the orthopedic surgeons were very happy with how the pieces of bone came together. She dislocated and tore the ligaments in her knee. They scoped her knee, cleaned up the cartilage, and fixed her ligaments. In the future, she will likely require more knee surgeries. The nerve that is responsible for the muscles that point her toes and foot up at the ankle was damaged beyond repair. She will require surgery in the future to help alleviate the “foot drop” that comes with the inability to control that muscle. Reconstruction of the soft tissue behind the knee has also been started. The surgeons have used a flap to help with this and she had multiple skin grafts. The flap is a small, neighboring piece of skin, muscle and soft tissue that was moved to help cover the back of her knee and the vessel graft. The flap had to be revised, since part of it wasn’t getting enough blood flow. They continue to carefully watch this second flap.
Over the course of the first three and a half weeks of her hospitalization, she's had 7 surgeries in total with more expected. The next is scheduled for Thursday. Additionally, she has several broken bones in her foot and a broken lumbar vertebra. The bones in her foot will probably require surgery in the future. She is wearing a back brace as a precaution for the fracture in her lower back. Pain control has been a problem throughout the hospital stay, with some days being better than others. She’s working diligently with physical therapy to get stronger and mobile.
She is blessed to be surrounded by family and friends throughout her recovery.
Organizer and beneficiary
Ariel Anderson
Organizer
Port Orange, FL
Bridget Anderson
Beneficiary
