Help Chris "Tex" on His Road to Recovery
If you’ve found your way to this page, then you may already know to some extent that a dear friend, community member and my partner, Chris—aka "Tex"—has heartbreakingly experienced a life-changing accident. Now in a coordinated effort between Chris' Family, myself (Colleen) and my parents, we are humbly reaching out to ask for support in this incredibly difficult situation.
What Happened:
On the evening of July 16th, around 6:30 PM, Chris was riding his mountain bike down a small hill on the property he lives on—a route he’s ridden countless times before. But this time, he hit a large rock, launching him over the handlebars. He was thrown 10–15 feet through the air and landed headfirst.
The impact caused a severe laceration to his forehead, the initial impact location, and resulted in a traumatic spinal cord injury. His T6 vertebra was badly injured, and all of his cervical (neck) vertebrae compressed, cutting off circulation to his entire body. Chris was immediately life flighted to the ICU at St. Mary’s Hospital, where he remains under intensive care.
Life-Saving Surgery and Current Status:
On July 17th at 8:00 AM, Chris underwent a five-hour emergency surgery to fuse his C4-C7 and relieve pressure on his spinal cord. Since then, he’s shown, while still early, hopeful signs of the surgery being successful. He currently has movement in his arms and slight movement in his fingers. Below the waist, every once in a while he can move his legs or wiggle his toes, but it is very very intermittent.
He is being treated with high-dose blood pressure medications to encourage blood flow to the spinal cord and stimulate healing and restore communication to his lower body. Depending on how his body responds, he will eventually transition to the inpatient rehabilitation center—potentially for anywhere from 1 to 3 months, or longer.
Who Chris Is:
If you’ve ever met Chris, you know he’s the Popeye of our community, strong as an ox, generous, dependable, and full of grit—he starts work before the sun rises and the roosters crow and doesn't truly ever sit down. He will give you the shirt off his back, help build your house, mow your lawn, and shovel your driveway all while telling you everything you want to know about construction, hunting, fishing, or any other outdoor activity.
Why We’re Asking for Help:
This accident has changed Chris’ life in ways that are still unfolding. While there are glimmers of hope, the road ahead will be long, uncertain, and incredibly challenging—physically, emotionally, and financially.
We are starting this GoFundMe to help cover:
-All Medical expenses
-Ongoing rehabilitation and physical therapy
-Essential mobility and accessibility equipment during his recovery
-Support for living costs during his recovery
Anything you can give—whether it's a donation, a share of this page, or simply a message of encouragement—will mean the world to Chris and to those who love him. Your support will truly be vital in helping us make sure he gets the care, comfort, and tools he needs to face the journey ahead with strength and hope.
Lastly, I wanted to make abundantly clear that I am working directly alongside Chris' mother Michelle to handle all funds raised and see that every cent is put to the best use for his direct care and payment of all medical bills; all along with support from Chris' stepdad Craig and our extended family on both sides- Chris' sister and brother in law Kim and James, and my parents Sheila and Ron.
If you wish or have time to take the extra step and send a direct donation via Venmo, helping us negate the percentage taken by gofundme, our good ol' boy Tex doesn't have one of them Venmo things so please send to my account: Cocobeanie7802
Thank you for taking the time to visit this page and to read this far.
We’ll continue to update this page with Chris’s progress and any new developments.
From the bottom of our hearts—thank you for being part of Chris's community and his recovery.
With love and gratitude,
Chris, Colleen and Family