Brad Ward's Climbing Accident Recovery Fund

Natalie Afonina is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Brad Ward.

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Hi everyone, Natalie here. I'm someone who cares very deeply about Brad and I'll be managing this page, providing updates, and generally a contact for all those that love Brad to keep communication channels open.

As many of you already know, Brad was involved in a very serious climbing accident on Mt. Shuksan on August 23rd, 2021 as he was preparing for a professional development alpine AMGA exam. He is alive, awake and stable (and already joking with the nurses and tired of being stuck in a hospital bed) and that is what matters, but the road to recovery is going to be long, difficult and expensive (thanks to our outrageous medical system and insurance rules).

What happened: Brad was mock-guiding myself and another friend up the notoriously loose, chossy and overall much-less-than-classic rock quality route called the NW Rib. As Brad led up with his backpack on some very infrequently-traveled terrain, testing the wet rock holds he was using, one of the holds catastrophically blew. The combination of the force and slippery wet rock threw him off balance and he took a 100' fall onto the talus ledge, miraculously surviving, but shattering his pelvis and right foot.

Rescue: We were able to stabilize Brad for the 4 hours before a helicopter from the National Park Service was able to make it through a small clearing in the clouds and long-line Brad to the Baker Ski Area heli pad (shoutout to Tim and Seth from SAR for safely packaging him into a burrito and transporting him off the mountain!). From there he was flown by life flight to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and rushed to the OR.

The Injuries: (brace yourselves folks, they’re not pretty)

LC3 Pelvic Ring Injury (fractured pelvis in 4 places)

Right greater trochanter fracture (fractured the outside of his upper femur bone)

Right Calcaneus Fracture (shattered his heel and ankle)

He underwent almost immediate surgery to stabilize his pelvic fractures, and he now has 3 long screws in his pelvis. They drove a giant nail into his foot to temporarily stabilize it as we wait for the swelling to go down in a week or two and he can start surgery on his foot (don’t scroll all the way to the bottom unless you want to see some gnarly x-rays ).

Recovery: As always, Brad was wearing his helmet and we are immensely grateful that his spine, brain and neck were uninjured, that the helicopter was able to get to us in time, that he was transported to the best orthopedic hospital in the country and he is stable. While the pelvic stabilization surgery was successful, we are still waiting on the second surgery for his heel/foot and the road to recovery is long and unclear. We want to keep Brad in the Seattle area for as long as possible as he will be wheelchair bound as he heals, and so he can continue getting the best orthopedic care at Harborview.

How you can help: Brad has touched many lives and is loved by many. From folks he’s guided in the alpine to those he shared beers with on river trips. All donations received through this GoFundMe page will be used to help Brad cover the medical and living costs from his surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation and recovery, since he only has in-state coverage for New Hampshire, not Washington and won't be able to work as a mountain guide for the foreseeable future as he heals. Apart from a lot of PT and potential inpatient-rehabilitation, he will require a wheelchair and wheelchair-accessible housing until he can be weight-bearing again as his pelvis and legs heal over the next many months (his comfy Pontiac Vibe car-living situation just won’t cut it ). If anyone has spare hotel nights or Airbnb credits, it may be months before Brad is able to go home to temporary housing in New Hampshire.

Thank you so much for wanting to help. It means so much more than just dollars. Whether or not you're able to make a donation, please share this fundraiser with your networks and community, and share a story below on how you got to know Brad or any adventures you've had together!

Brad wants you to know that he doesn’t want others to compromise their well-being and finances to help him and that he'll be alright.

I'll be providing recovery updates on this page, so subscribe or check-in if you want the latest and greatest from the talented ortho team at Harborview :)

Much love and stay safe out there and please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions!

Natalie

Now for some pics:

National Park Service rescuers ready to attach the long line to the full body splint and helicopter him off the side of the mountain: