Dear friends and family,

My name is Devin Chatterton and I'm the oldest child of Tom and Dolly. We are reaching out to you today with heavy hearts and a plea for support. On Friday September 15, Tom Chatterton was in a serious motorcycle accident in Nevada. He fell off the side of the road and down a cliff about 50 feet. Thankfully, his friend Paul was riding with him so he was able to call for help. Tom was and still is unresponsive.

Tom is currently in a coma and intubated.

Tom has bleeding in his brain, multiple broken bones, and a C1 vertebrae fracture.

A 2nd CT scan showed the bleeding in his brain has not increased and there is no major pressure. However, there are multiple DAI (Diffused Axonal Injury) spots on the brain. DAI is when the brain’s nerve structure tears, which disrupts communication. He will be getting an MRI to see the extent of the DAI.

The C1 fracture affects motor and sensory function. They will see a more in depth view with MRI. At this time, the neurologist does not suspect a spinal cord injury.

He has multiple, extensive fractures/breaks to his pelvis, which will require possibly two surgeries after clearance from Neurology. He also has a fractured rib.

Due to the number and extent of all his injuries, we are expecting a very long road ahead of us.

We are all with him now in Reno, Nevada.

Please pray for the Lord’s healing touch on Tom and for strength and endurance for our family.

We are humbly asking for your assistance in raising funds to help cover the medical expenses that lie ahead in the coming months.

UPDATE as of 9/22/23: MRI has confirmed he has severe DAI injuries throughout his brain. This is not something that is operable. We will not know what has been impacted until he begins to wake up and recover. His C1 fracture does not need surgery, as the ligaments are intact. There is no spinal cord injury. He had surgery on his pelvis that was successful yesterday, September 21. He is still in a coma and is still intubated and using a feeding tube. Thank you so much to everyone for their kind words and support. We really appreciate it.

UPDATE as of 9/25/23: Tom had a tracheostomy and is able to speak with a piece put in it. Today he was able to form some sentences! He does have pneumonia, but it is being treated with antibiotics. He has started some physical therapy and can support himself while sitting up on the edge of the bed. Thank you again to everyone for your prayers and kind words!

UPDATE as of 9/27/23: Tom is mostly breathing on his own with the trach in. He has been able to swallow ice chips. He stays awake for at least an hour at a time but his conversations don’t follow the questions we ask. He is speaking in full words and sometimes sentences. We are starting to discuss moving him back to an Orange County facility. He will have to be airlifted and insurance unfortunately does not cover the cost of this, so we really appreciate all of your donations!

UPDATE as of 9/30/23: Tom has been moved out of the trauma ICU and taken off his ventilator. He is still in Reno, NV. He still needs to pass his FEES swallowing test before he can be airlifted to a facility closer to home.

UPDATE as of 10/6/2023: Tom is still in the Neuro wing in Reno. They capped his trach yesterday, which means if all goes well, he will get that out in a few days. He also had his staples removed from his hip surgery and the x-rays show that he is healing well. He still hasn't passed his FEES swallowing test. If he does not pass that test after a few more days of trying, they will switch him to a G tube for feeding. Once he heals from that, we will be able to leave and he will be transferred to an in patient rehab facility in Orange County via plane. Again, insurance doesn't cover the cost to transfer him, so we really appreciate everyone's donations! It means so much to our family.

UPDATE as of 10/10/2023: Tom was able to have his trach removed, which means he is breathing entirely on his own. He also had his feeding tube removed and is now being fed via G-tube which goes directly into his stomach. We are still testing to see when he can start swallowing food and get that tube removed. Every day he saying and doing a little more. He is slowly starting to remember our names and have more thorough conversations. The progress has been slow, but steady, which is all we can ask for. The plan is to hopefully have him transferred to a rehab facility in Orange County at the end of this week or early next week. I will update everyone here once he is moved. Thank you again for your thoughts and support!

UPDATE as of 10/17/2023: Tom is breathing and now eating on his own. Occasionally he needs additional nutrients via G-tube. He should be getting his neck brace off in a few weeks, which is great because he loves to grab at it and tries to take it off constantly. His mental progress is steady and he's remembering more each day. He is getting physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy multiple times a week, with an emphasis on his physical therapy. He and my mom take trips daily via wheelchair out to the courtyard where he can get some sun and fresh air. We are still working with case managers to get him transferred to an Orange County facility, which has been a very long and frustrating process, but should be completed soon. I will update everyone here when he is moved. Thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and support!

UPDATE as of 10/23/2023: Tom has officially been transferred out of the hospital in Reno and arrived in Orange County today. He is at an inpatient rehab facility that focuses on traumatic brain injuries. We are so happy he’s home! Thank you everyone for your prayers and support!

UPDATE as of 11/1/2023: Hi everyone, on Monday October 30th, we admitted Tom to the ER in Orange County. He was complaining of pain and saying he didn’t feel well. After CT scans, they found additional bleeding in his brain. His previous brain surgeon was able to consult and determined that he has a subdural hematoma. He will get another scan in 3 weeks to monitor it. However, he’ll be staying at the ER for a few days for observation. Thank you again for your continued support and prayers.

UPDATE as of 11/10/23: Tom has been transferred to an acute rehab center in Los Angeles. He’s receiving physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and neurocognitive therapy. He’s continuing to make small improvements every day. Again, we really appreciate all of the support and prayers!

UPDATE as of 12/20/23: Tom is finally home! He is able to walk with a walker and is going to outpatient therapy during the week. He is still recovering but so happy to be home with family. Thank you so much to everyone for your thoughts and prayers!