Let's Get Dave Back In The Saddle

Co-organized

Jeff Evans and Robert Kauffman are organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Sopheap Na.

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Dave Moon has always been a hard charger.

He was the guy who would ALWAYS reply with an enthusiastic "Heck yeah" when proposed with an invitation to go mountain biking, rock climbing, backcountry skiing or alpine climbing, oftentimes after coming directly off one of his customary overnight ER shifts.

He was always game.

Clearly didn't take much to talk him into climbing Denali with me back in the late 90s.

The answer was always "Sure, let's do it."

But mountain biking was always his first love. The sport that brought him the most joy. The activity he would ultimately share with his wife and young son.

On May 24th, 2023, before heading out on a scheduled late afternoon mountain bike ride with his son, Dave was squeezing in a personal hot-lap on the Floyd Hill mountain bike trail system, when he misjudged the landing on a jump, ejected over the handlebars resulting in a high velocity, full body weight, axial load right onto his head.

Dave's been an ER doc for 30 years. He immediately understood the gravity of his injury. He had intense neck pain, undoubtedly some broken ribs and most concerning, no feeling from his chest down. He calmly called 911 and provided details on his location and injury. Then called his wife and repeated the information to her. Several hours later he would be sedated in the back of the Flight For Life helicopter en route to Sweedish Medical Center to be stabilized. His life would never be the same.

His diagnosis was confirmed: He had sustained what's called a "Hangman Fracture" at C2, multiple broken ribs and a complete cord injury at T4 which would leave him permanently paralyzed from the nipples down.

When I visited Dave at Craig Rehab a week after his accident, he was already speaking of adaptive bikes and skis. We spoke about No Barriers and various other organizations that provide opportunities for physically challenged folks to get outside and have fun. His body took a hit in this crash... but his character still remained as it was: Full of that hard-charging spirit.

Dave is now home embarking on this new version of life with his wife and son. His grit and talented team of therapists have resulted in him being back on the trail on a borrowed adaptive bike a mere 3 months post-injury. His joy on the bike is palpable. He sees a future of riding with his family and friends.

Because Dave is not working any longer and has sustained immeasurable costs from his accident, the price tag of a high-end adaptive bike is prohibitive. So it's time for a community of outdoor enthusiasts to come together and get Dave his very own bike.

Please contribute what you can to get Dave back in the saddle.