Donation protected
I met Drew for the first time while he was lying on the side of a rocky and steep embankment in the Colorado mountains assessing his broken body. His accidental strike against the cliff wall had been so violent that his propeller, like glass, had disintegrated against the rock, torqueing his engine mounts completely from the frame. As I reached him I saw his flight buddy Sue, who had already tenderly threaded his harness off and was now tending to him. The larger group, once alerted, scrambled into the air like bees. Someone managed to break above the cliff wall and get cell service, but still it seemed like forever before they got that ambulance up to Creede.
Amazingly, Drew was still conscious as a group of I-don't-know-how-many carried him up the dangerous slope. Extra hands reached for the stretcher when the EMT's feet slid on the scree. I have never broken a bone in my life, so it was easy to marvel at how Drew gave a calm accounting of how badly he was hurt, about what had happened, occasionally trailing off like he was describing a body and time not his own.
Next to the chase vehicles everyone was still trying to pitch in and be useful. We were glad to have him alive but the mood soured as he told us he was going into shock. The back doors of the ambulance closed. When it pulled away there was a strange feeling of powerlessness as the situation was now out of our hands. The red lights twirled down the canyon and out of sight. A somber silence arose among us. We all stood there dumbly for a moment, both exhausted and shaken in our convictions.
Drew and Micki Vroman were married in 1984. Like many of us they have had numerous careers, but they finally found their passion two years ago when they took a small glider shop and transformed it into a business to support sport-flying. Those of us who love paragliding and paramotoring know them as Airtoyz. Based in Arizona, Drew and Micki’s noble mission is to keep us sport-pilots safe. They do this through formal instruction and glider repair, but are also eager to just chat with and advise those of us who simply love to fly.
On September 19 of this year, Drew was with a group of paramotorists following the Rio Grande River from the headwaters in Colorado, all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Drew's intent was to offer his services in glider and line repair, so that everyone could fly with the peace-of-mind of properly inspected equipment. Unfortunately, near the beginning, while flying in Creede, Colorado, Drew’s engine lost power at exactly the wrong time, and he crashed into the side of a cliff wall.
After stabilizing him, they flew Drew to a trauma center in Denver where he spent 28 days in the ICU. I remember as the news of his injuries filtered down to the rest of us: a broken foot and heel. A busted tibia and fibula. The most formidable bone of the leg, his femur, was in 9 pieces. His pelvis was shattered along with his sternum and 7 ribs. Very shortly after his third surgery he developed a pulmonary embolism which requires him to take an ongoing prescription for an expensive blood thinner.
Drew spent most of November in a lonely handicapped hotel, still too fragile to move, desperate to get back home to his business and family. Through all of this, he has not once despaired, and remains a present and inspiring force to all who follow his recovery.
It is hard to slip into another person's story and feel true empathy, but right now, Drew and Micki's dreams are in jeopardy. Even though we're so happy he's alive, Drew's struggle, and Micki's too, are really just beginning. Drew has been told he will need more operations and will certainly need extensive physical therapy to regain the use of his leg and foot. It is going to be impossible for him to work, at least for awhile.
For all of these reasons, I am calling on all those who know Drew and Micki, and also calling out to the paramotor community and sport-flying community at large, to please consider a donation to this page. Do this in the knowledge that, though we can't solve all Drew's problems and we can't turn back the clock for him, it would be an extremely nice gesture to consider at the time of his greatest need.
Those of who reach for the sky are acutely aware how quick things go badly, how fast it can all come undone. It's a risk we take, and in-so-doing, we share a bond, each with the other. Please help a fellow pilot whose life has been turned upside down by this tragic accident. Not only will it aid and support Drew and Micki, but it will also reflect the kind of universe that's safe for us all to keep flying in.
Amazingly, Drew was still conscious as a group of I-don't-know-how-many carried him up the dangerous slope. Extra hands reached for the stretcher when the EMT's feet slid on the scree. I have never broken a bone in my life, so it was easy to marvel at how Drew gave a calm accounting of how badly he was hurt, about what had happened, occasionally trailing off like he was describing a body and time not his own.
Next to the chase vehicles everyone was still trying to pitch in and be useful. We were glad to have him alive but the mood soured as he told us he was going into shock. The back doors of the ambulance closed. When it pulled away there was a strange feeling of powerlessness as the situation was now out of our hands. The red lights twirled down the canyon and out of sight. A somber silence arose among us. We all stood there dumbly for a moment, both exhausted and shaken in our convictions.
Drew and Micki Vroman were married in 1984. Like many of us they have had numerous careers, but they finally found their passion two years ago when they took a small glider shop and transformed it into a business to support sport-flying. Those of us who love paragliding and paramotoring know them as Airtoyz. Based in Arizona, Drew and Micki’s noble mission is to keep us sport-pilots safe. They do this through formal instruction and glider repair, but are also eager to just chat with and advise those of us who simply love to fly. On September 19 of this year, Drew was with a group of paramotorists following the Rio Grande River from the headwaters in Colorado, all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Drew's intent was to offer his services in glider and line repair, so that everyone could fly with the peace-of-mind of properly inspected equipment. Unfortunately, near the beginning, while flying in Creede, Colorado, Drew’s engine lost power at exactly the wrong time, and he crashed into the side of a cliff wall.
After stabilizing him, they flew Drew to a trauma center in Denver where he spent 28 days in the ICU. I remember as the news of his injuries filtered down to the rest of us: a broken foot and heel. A busted tibia and fibula. The most formidable bone of the leg, his femur, was in 9 pieces. His pelvis was shattered along with his sternum and 7 ribs. Very shortly after his third surgery he developed a pulmonary embolism which requires him to take an ongoing prescription for an expensive blood thinner.Drew spent most of November in a lonely handicapped hotel, still too fragile to move, desperate to get back home to his business and family. Through all of this, he has not once despaired, and remains a present and inspiring force to all who follow his recovery.It is hard to slip into another person's story and feel true empathy, but right now, Drew and Micki's dreams are in jeopardy. Even though we're so happy he's alive, Drew's struggle, and Micki's too, are really just beginning. Drew has been told he will need more operations and will certainly need extensive physical therapy to regain the use of his leg and foot. It is going to be impossible for him to work, at least for awhile.
For all of these reasons, I am calling on all those who know Drew and Micki, and also calling out to the paramotor community and sport-flying community at large, to please consider a donation to this page. Do this in the knowledge that, though we can't solve all Drew's problems and we can't turn back the clock for him, it would be an extremely nice gesture to consider at the time of his greatest need.
Those of who reach for the sky are acutely aware how quick things go badly, how fast it can all come undone. It's a risk we take, and in-so-doing, we share a bond, each with the other. Please help a fellow pilot whose life has been turned upside down by this tragic accident. Not only will it aid and support Drew and Micki, but it will also reflect the kind of universe that's safe for us all to keep flying in.
Organizer and beneficiary
Christy Podtetenieff
Organizer
Meadview, AZ
Michelle Vroman
Beneficiary