My brother Doug crashed his motorcycle during a practice ride before a race on Sunday November 15th. He landed on his head and even with a helmet on he suffered severe brain trauma and a broken collarbone. He was in the ICU for three days and hospital for an additional week before being transferred to a rehabilitation facility specializing in neurological injuries. Doug will be there for at least a week to work on his recovery before being ready to come home.

Miraculously, Doug went from limited brain activity to talking to us over the phone in a matter of days. Doug currently has limited mobility on his left side, confusion and short term memory loss. All of which are associated with his brain trauma. Then there’s his broken collarbone. With the help of the current inpatient therapy, and likely outpatient therapy, he is working towards a (hopefully) near full recovery, though we won’t know for sure until we get there. 

Words cannot express the terror and heartache we have all felt by this. So many people have reached out, sending prayers and healing energy, and offering to help in anyway possible. This has been a hard year for all, particularly hard for those who’ve lost their income. With all state and county fairs being closed, my parents and brother have been no expectation. Needless to say they could use a little help. We know we are extremely lucky to be asking for help with medical bills and not funeral expenses but Doug’s recovery journey is far from over. The donations will be transferred to my dad, David Wellmon, to pay the medical bills on behalf of Doug. All donations will help, no matter how small my family will feel the love. 

Hug your loved ones! Wear your helmet!