Chelsy Koya - How Her Life Changed In An Instant
Donation protected
Chelsy and Rish Koya share a passion for health, fitness, and professional wrestling.
In New Westminster "Mrs India and Mister India " owned and operated Koyabell Fitness & Optimal Health
and Royal City Wrestling .
Over the years, these passions bonded them.
Chelsy & Rish fell deeply in love and eventually married.
On the morning of January 4th, 2021, the newlyweds were on the Anarchist Mountain Lookout. Only a short drive along the Crowsnest Hwy close to their new home in Osoyoos, BC.
As they smiled, posed and took sweet romantic selfies, neither of them could imagine what was about to happen.
Less than 10 minutes later and not even a kilometer away, tragedy would strike with a very hard blow.
Hitting black ice, their vehicle slide across the center line. A Jeep Wrangler travelling at highway speeds struck the passenger side door and sent both cars sliding off the highway into a ditch on the side of the road.
Bracing for impact, Rish grabbed hold of the steering wheel. In fact, he held it so tight that it ended up causing him severe nerve damage in his right hand. He also sustained a traumatic blow to the head due to the impact on the steering wheel which resulted in a major concussion and substantial injuries to his neck. In addition, he suffered injuries to his hips and persistent numbness on the right side of his body. As dazed and disoriented as he was, he knew that the accident was bad. He turned to his wife in the passenger seat. His radiant bride was in shock and in tremendous pain that she could barely speak. She was pinned into her seat by the passenger side door.
She couldn’t get out, she could barely move and all her husband could do was try to keep her calm and reassure her that help was on the way. Rish did get out of the vehicle and tried to pull open the door. He even attempted to jump on the door numerous times but it did not budge. Chelsy knew something was terribly wrong with her body. As a fitness instructor, she knows her body better than most people. She began to check herself over, beginning with wiggling her toes. Relief set in as she realized she wasn’t paralyzed but she couldn’t move her legs. In fact, it would several months before she could even try to stand. She also knew that there was something terribly wrong with her hand and wrist but didn’t have the nerve to look down. Instead she begged her husband to remove her watch that was now causing her extreme pain due to the protruding ulna bone from her wrist. This would result in her losing the ulna bone tip in her dominate left hand and a plate permanently implanted into her forearm.
It would be over 30 minutes before emergency personnel arrived on the scene. It would be another 15 to 20 minutes of being trapped and pinned in their car, surrounded by police, paramedics and fireman until they were able to remove the roof and extract Chelsy. They finally decided that they would have to resort to using the Jaws of Life. As they were attempting to remove her they realized that her pelvis was broken and had to change plans and remove her through the roof. Once in the ambulance the paramedics wrapped her hips in a t-cup sinch. It would later be diagnosed that all four corners of her pelvis were broken as well as her tailbone. It took an hour and a half to transport her to Penticton Hospital were she was finally given medication to relieve some of the pain.
In addition to her numerous injuries, there was also a large gash on the back of her head approximately 5 inches which would require 10 staples to close and hold her scull together. She would lose much of her beautiful blonde hair over the next few months and would keep this scar and several others as a constant reminder for the rest of her life.
Two separate ambulances were needed, Rish was sent to nearby South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver. Chelsy was transported to Penticton Regional Hospital as her injuries were too severe to be treated in Oliver. Once brought to Penticton Hospital it became quickly apparent to the doctors that they did not have the necessary equipment to accommodate her injuries. A quick decision had to be made, either a helicopter flight to Vancouver General Hospital or an ambulance to Kelowna General Hospital. They chose the closest one.
Oliver Hospital requested Rish be admitted for his injuries. Not wanting to be separated from his wife he politely refused. After x-rays were performed, he left Oliver for Kelowna to be at her side. Now more than ever he knew his Princess needed her Prince. This all happened during Covid and Rish was not permitted into Kelowna hospital. He tried every day to get them to allow him to be with her.
Once at Kelowna Hospital the task for mending Chelsy began. Using the SUPER 8 surgery machine, multiple doctors performed numerous surgeries on her at the same time. The impact from the accident was so traumatic on her body that it was entirely swollen for more 10 days. During that time the hospital encouraged her to not look at her body. The swelling in her body has diminished but continues to his day.
After the final diagnosis was performed, this was a list of some of the injuries she endured:
~Severe Concussion – Chelsy would not be able to lift her head for 25 days. She had to be kept in complete darkness as any light would cause her to vomit.
~Head Injury – Ten staples used on the back of her head.
~Pelvis – The seatbelt kept her in the car but it broke all 4 corners of her pelvis and her tailbone.
~Side of Thigh and Hip– Eight stitches (remains numb)
~Knee – Five stitches on side of knee (remains numb from knee to hip)
~Broken Arm and Wrist Surgery including removal of ulna tip and steel plate in forearm – 35 staples and 12 stitches
~Internal bleeding
~Insertion of a catheter. At the time the hospital was unaware of a pin hole in her bladder which went undetected for 10 days.
In fact, she still has chronic severe pain throughout her body, her right leg is numb on the side that got hit. She is working with a chiropractor to see if it is nerve damage or a pinched nerve that is causing the numbness. This is only the damage that happened to her physical body. The emotional scars and pain have haunted her ever since.
It’s important to remember that Chelsy is an organic, all-natural athlete and personal trainer. Health and fitness is her life. It’s likely what saved her. However, the pain was so intense and excruciating that she found herself being administered copious amounts of Hydro Morphine and other narcotics to slacken the pain.
In fact at one point she was told that they didn’t have anything stronger to offer her. She would have to find a way to mentally get through the pain. The drugs being inflicted on her system were extreme and her body began to reject them and she became violently ill. This continued for several days in a row. During the first week in Penticton Hospital, on one especially rough night they performed a routine test on her bladder by filling it with saline. As they were unaware of the hole in her bladder this test resulted in rupturing the top of her bladder. Four hours later she found herself having emergency bladder surgery.
The Koyas were told that due to the numerous injuries that Chelsy suffered, they might have to stay in the hospital for up to a year. With her strength, health and spirit and the love and care of her husband, Chelsy was released after 42 days. In the end, it took 57 nurses and 7 surgeons at 3 hospitals to put Chelsy’s broken body back together. The road ahead would be full of hurdles, potholes and an emotional rollercoaster.
If you’ve ever been stuck staying a night in a hospital, you can imagine how relieved Chelsy was to go home after a month and a half. Relief became concern when they realized that recovery at home wasn’t possible. The reason … stairs … lots of them. Chelsy’s pelvis was broken so climbing 22 stairs would not even be a consideration. The alternative would be to live in a hotel suite until they found something more suitable and that she had progressed enough to be moved again.
Transforming a hotel suite into a hospital room was definitely a challenge. This room would eventually be complete with a hospital bed, harness machine to help lift Chelsy in and out of the bed and even a nurse. At that time, Chelsy was non weight bearing on 3 limbs, this meant she was confined to a hospital bed. She required 24 / 7 care and could not perform the simple tasks of life on her own such as using the bathroom or washing herself. She had to rely entirely on her husband and the nurse. She was only able to have the assistance from the nurse for 12 to 14 hours during the week and she could not be left alone. This put major pressure on Rish to take care of her as they had no one else available to help them.
It’s been a long journey for them both and they still have a really long hard road ahead. It’s now almost September and they have been able to move from a hotel into a accessible apartment.
They both continue to suffer from chronic pain, numbness and headaches. Chelsy is still in a wheelchair although she can know bare weight on her legs. She can stand and walk short distances but only for a brief amount of time. She can only lie on her stomach and finds most other positions painful or uncomfortable including sitting up. Her pain levels continue to be high and she is still being prescribed narcotics to ease the suffering but these are extremely addictive and something she hopes to be able to stop sooner than later. There is progress every day but its slow and painful and emotionally, mentally, physically and even spiritually challenging for this once active, fun loving, joyful couple. Don’t get me wrong they still are the same people but this traumatic accident and experience has scarred them both and changed them forever.
For anyone who knows Mr. and Mrs. India personally, you know we are talking about fighters. They are strong willed, big hearted and love life. They still do. Even though this has happened they both still stay positive that things will continue to get better. It’s just going to take time and a lot of money. Both of them are seeing various practitioners. Their bodies are healing and they have made a lot of progress all things considered.
As business owners they didn’t have the benefits that salaried workers generally take for granted. Chelsy is currently averaging 11 to 15 appointments with practitioners per week in addition to regular physiotherapy. Even as an employee with benefits there is a limit available for these healing services such as chiropractors, massage therapists and other modalities to help repair their bodies, minds and their damaged nervous systems which has caused constant pain, tingling and numbness for both of them.
Why did I decide to write this Go Fund Me? First, I’ve been friends with them both for many years and love them so much. Also, I know personally by talking with them on a regular basis that they hurt a lot, every day, all day and somehow they still manage to give me smiles. Last night, Chelsy opened up to me about all she endured, some of which I shared in this message but there was a lot more. I honestly can’t believe how courageous and strong she is. How much pain and suffering she has endured. She shared with me many photos of the accident, her injuries and some of her recovery. I was left with no words.
It's heartbreaking to listen to someone tell their story and show themselves raw and vulnerable. Talking with Rish and knowing that it has also been hard for him. He is trying to be strong for her even though he has his own injuries and pain to manage. I know he must feel helpless when he can’t make her pain go away. I’m confident that they will find their way through this but it takes a lot of money to heal. They need the love, support and help of their friends, family, students, wrestling fans and everyone who can understand how life can change in a moment.
With all the wounds that they both have suffered, it’s the ones that won’t heal with stitches that will take the most time. The flashbacks, the memories, the guilt and anger they will eventually fade away but never completely. All the dreams of a newlywed couple have now been put on hold. Their dreams of starting a family, opening a new fitness studio and getting back into shape, all this must wait
while they continue to heal...And they will heal as they both do not know anything else.
Chelsy's goal is to fully heal & get back to being an ELITE fitness trainer helping people with their health.
Rish's goal is to fully heal & fight for a spot on the roster at ALL ELITE WRESTLING .
Please DONATE what you can afford to help these dynamic, loving and amazing people. To help them to stop worrying about how they are going to pay for the mounting bills and those bills that they know will still have to come in the future. Instead allow them time to focus on healing and finding their way back to a life they both deserve.
Thank you,
Stacy Patterson
Chelsy Koya Fun Raisin Heal Fly Team
In New Westminster "Mrs India and Mister India " owned and operated Koyabell Fitness & Optimal Health
and Royal City Wrestling .
Over the years, these passions bonded them.
Chelsy & Rish fell deeply in love and eventually married.
On the morning of January 4th, 2021, the newlyweds were on the Anarchist Mountain Lookout. Only a short drive along the Crowsnest Hwy close to their new home in Osoyoos, BC.
As they smiled, posed and took sweet romantic selfies, neither of them could imagine what was about to happen.
Less than 10 minutes later and not even a kilometer away, tragedy would strike with a very hard blow.
Hitting black ice, their vehicle slide across the center line. A Jeep Wrangler travelling at highway speeds struck the passenger side door and sent both cars sliding off the highway into a ditch on the side of the road.
Bracing for impact, Rish grabbed hold of the steering wheel. In fact, he held it so tight that it ended up causing him severe nerve damage in his right hand. He also sustained a traumatic blow to the head due to the impact on the steering wheel which resulted in a major concussion and substantial injuries to his neck. In addition, he suffered injuries to his hips and persistent numbness on the right side of his body. As dazed and disoriented as he was, he knew that the accident was bad. He turned to his wife in the passenger seat. His radiant bride was in shock and in tremendous pain that she could barely speak. She was pinned into her seat by the passenger side door.
She couldn’t get out, she could barely move and all her husband could do was try to keep her calm and reassure her that help was on the way. Rish did get out of the vehicle and tried to pull open the door. He even attempted to jump on the door numerous times but it did not budge. Chelsy knew something was terribly wrong with her body. As a fitness instructor, she knows her body better than most people. She began to check herself over, beginning with wiggling her toes. Relief set in as she realized she wasn’t paralyzed but she couldn’t move her legs. In fact, it would several months before she could even try to stand. She also knew that there was something terribly wrong with her hand and wrist but didn’t have the nerve to look down. Instead she begged her husband to remove her watch that was now causing her extreme pain due to the protruding ulna bone from her wrist. This would result in her losing the ulna bone tip in her dominate left hand and a plate permanently implanted into her forearm.
It would be over 30 minutes before emergency personnel arrived on the scene. It would be another 15 to 20 minutes of being trapped and pinned in their car, surrounded by police, paramedics and fireman until they were able to remove the roof and extract Chelsy. They finally decided that they would have to resort to using the Jaws of Life. As they were attempting to remove her they realized that her pelvis was broken and had to change plans and remove her through the roof. Once in the ambulance the paramedics wrapped her hips in a t-cup sinch. It would later be diagnosed that all four corners of her pelvis were broken as well as her tailbone. It took an hour and a half to transport her to Penticton Hospital were she was finally given medication to relieve some of the pain.
In addition to her numerous injuries, there was also a large gash on the back of her head approximately 5 inches which would require 10 staples to close and hold her scull together. She would lose much of her beautiful blonde hair over the next few months and would keep this scar and several others as a constant reminder for the rest of her life.
Two separate ambulances were needed, Rish was sent to nearby South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver. Chelsy was transported to Penticton Regional Hospital as her injuries were too severe to be treated in Oliver. Once brought to Penticton Hospital it became quickly apparent to the doctors that they did not have the necessary equipment to accommodate her injuries. A quick decision had to be made, either a helicopter flight to Vancouver General Hospital or an ambulance to Kelowna General Hospital. They chose the closest one.
Oliver Hospital requested Rish be admitted for his injuries. Not wanting to be separated from his wife he politely refused. After x-rays were performed, he left Oliver for Kelowna to be at her side. Now more than ever he knew his Princess needed her Prince. This all happened during Covid and Rish was not permitted into Kelowna hospital. He tried every day to get them to allow him to be with her.
Once at Kelowna Hospital the task for mending Chelsy began. Using the SUPER 8 surgery machine, multiple doctors performed numerous surgeries on her at the same time. The impact from the accident was so traumatic on her body that it was entirely swollen for more 10 days. During that time the hospital encouraged her to not look at her body. The swelling in her body has diminished but continues to his day.
After the final diagnosis was performed, this was a list of some of the injuries she endured:
~Severe Concussion – Chelsy would not be able to lift her head for 25 days. She had to be kept in complete darkness as any light would cause her to vomit.
~Head Injury – Ten staples used on the back of her head.
~Pelvis – The seatbelt kept her in the car but it broke all 4 corners of her pelvis and her tailbone.
~Side of Thigh and Hip– Eight stitches (remains numb)
~Knee – Five stitches on side of knee (remains numb from knee to hip)
~Broken Arm and Wrist Surgery including removal of ulna tip and steel plate in forearm – 35 staples and 12 stitches
~Internal bleeding
~Insertion of a catheter. At the time the hospital was unaware of a pin hole in her bladder which went undetected for 10 days.
In fact, she still has chronic severe pain throughout her body, her right leg is numb on the side that got hit. She is working with a chiropractor to see if it is nerve damage or a pinched nerve that is causing the numbness. This is only the damage that happened to her physical body. The emotional scars and pain have haunted her ever since.
It’s important to remember that Chelsy is an organic, all-natural athlete and personal trainer. Health and fitness is her life. It’s likely what saved her. However, the pain was so intense and excruciating that she found herself being administered copious amounts of Hydro Morphine and other narcotics to slacken the pain.
In fact at one point she was told that they didn’t have anything stronger to offer her. She would have to find a way to mentally get through the pain. The drugs being inflicted on her system were extreme and her body began to reject them and she became violently ill. This continued for several days in a row. During the first week in Penticton Hospital, on one especially rough night they performed a routine test on her bladder by filling it with saline. As they were unaware of the hole in her bladder this test resulted in rupturing the top of her bladder. Four hours later she found herself having emergency bladder surgery.
The Koyas were told that due to the numerous injuries that Chelsy suffered, they might have to stay in the hospital for up to a year. With her strength, health and spirit and the love and care of her husband, Chelsy was released after 42 days. In the end, it took 57 nurses and 7 surgeons at 3 hospitals to put Chelsy’s broken body back together. The road ahead would be full of hurdles, potholes and an emotional rollercoaster.
If you’ve ever been stuck staying a night in a hospital, you can imagine how relieved Chelsy was to go home after a month and a half. Relief became concern when they realized that recovery at home wasn’t possible. The reason … stairs … lots of them. Chelsy’s pelvis was broken so climbing 22 stairs would not even be a consideration. The alternative would be to live in a hotel suite until they found something more suitable and that she had progressed enough to be moved again.
Transforming a hotel suite into a hospital room was definitely a challenge. This room would eventually be complete with a hospital bed, harness machine to help lift Chelsy in and out of the bed and even a nurse. At that time, Chelsy was non weight bearing on 3 limbs, this meant she was confined to a hospital bed. She required 24 / 7 care and could not perform the simple tasks of life on her own such as using the bathroom or washing herself. She had to rely entirely on her husband and the nurse. She was only able to have the assistance from the nurse for 12 to 14 hours during the week and she could not be left alone. This put major pressure on Rish to take care of her as they had no one else available to help them.
It’s been a long journey for them both and they still have a really long hard road ahead. It’s now almost September and they have been able to move from a hotel into a accessible apartment.
They both continue to suffer from chronic pain, numbness and headaches. Chelsy is still in a wheelchair although she can know bare weight on her legs. She can stand and walk short distances but only for a brief amount of time. She can only lie on her stomach and finds most other positions painful or uncomfortable including sitting up. Her pain levels continue to be high and she is still being prescribed narcotics to ease the suffering but these are extremely addictive and something she hopes to be able to stop sooner than later. There is progress every day but its slow and painful and emotionally, mentally, physically and even spiritually challenging for this once active, fun loving, joyful couple. Don’t get me wrong they still are the same people but this traumatic accident and experience has scarred them both and changed them forever.
For anyone who knows Mr. and Mrs. India personally, you know we are talking about fighters. They are strong willed, big hearted and love life. They still do. Even though this has happened they both still stay positive that things will continue to get better. It’s just going to take time and a lot of money. Both of them are seeing various practitioners. Their bodies are healing and they have made a lot of progress all things considered.
As business owners they didn’t have the benefits that salaried workers generally take for granted. Chelsy is currently averaging 11 to 15 appointments with practitioners per week in addition to regular physiotherapy. Even as an employee with benefits there is a limit available for these healing services such as chiropractors, massage therapists and other modalities to help repair their bodies, minds and their damaged nervous systems which has caused constant pain, tingling and numbness for both of them.
Why did I decide to write this Go Fund Me? First, I’ve been friends with them both for many years and love them so much. Also, I know personally by talking with them on a regular basis that they hurt a lot, every day, all day and somehow they still manage to give me smiles. Last night, Chelsy opened up to me about all she endured, some of which I shared in this message but there was a lot more. I honestly can’t believe how courageous and strong she is. How much pain and suffering she has endured. She shared with me many photos of the accident, her injuries and some of her recovery. I was left with no words.
It's heartbreaking to listen to someone tell their story and show themselves raw and vulnerable. Talking with Rish and knowing that it has also been hard for him. He is trying to be strong for her even though he has his own injuries and pain to manage. I know he must feel helpless when he can’t make her pain go away. I’m confident that they will find their way through this but it takes a lot of money to heal. They need the love, support and help of their friends, family, students, wrestling fans and everyone who can understand how life can change in a moment.
With all the wounds that they both have suffered, it’s the ones that won’t heal with stitches that will take the most time. The flashbacks, the memories, the guilt and anger they will eventually fade away but never completely. All the dreams of a newlywed couple have now been put on hold. Their dreams of starting a family, opening a new fitness studio and getting back into shape, all this must wait
while they continue to heal...And they will heal as they both do not know anything else.
Chelsy's goal is to fully heal & get back to being an ELITE fitness trainer helping people with their health.
Rish's goal is to fully heal & fight for a spot on the roster at ALL ELITE WRESTLING .
Please DONATE what you can afford to help these dynamic, loving and amazing people. To help them to stop worrying about how they are going to pay for the mounting bills and those bills that they know will still have to come in the future. Instead allow them time to focus on healing and finding their way back to a life they both deserve.
Thank you,
Stacy Patterson
Chelsy Koya Fun Raisin Heal Fly Team
Organizer and beneficiary
Rish Koya
Organizer
Osoyoos, BC
Chelsy Lumb
Beneficiary
