Matt Rehm's Recovery
This is an appeal on behalf of my cousin, Matt Rehm –
On February 7, Matt, a professional hiking guide of 16 years, took a terrible fall while hiking in a remote section of Grand Canyon. He was on Day 12 of a 60-day hike when a rock ledge he was traversing collapsed under his feet. He fell almost 20 feet, breaking his left knee and left heel, tearing both rotator cuffs in his shoulders, and bruising ribs. It was nearly 3 days of winter storms before he and his hiking partner were reached by Search and Rescue and evacuated.
The delayed rescue led to extensive skin damage around his fractured heel. As of mid-April, Matt has been through 3 surgeries to place pins in his heel, stabilize his knee, and perform an extensive skin and tissue graft. As many as two more surgeries could be required before all is said and done.
Anyone who has had the misfortune of having to navigate the healthcare system understands the great cost and frustration involved. For Matt, the medical bills have already started piling up. Although he has insurance not everything is covered. And as if the bills weren’t hard enough, the injuries mean that he is unable to work and earn a paycheck.
His incredible partner, Quin, has been on leave from her job so she can help Matt on a daily basis, which is no small task, as every little aspect of daily life is a challenge in Matt’s current condition.
In short, Matt needs help. He is not the type of friend that is comfortable asking for help so I am reaching out to the community to see what we can do.
If we all chip in, I believe this will take some stress off him and will help inspire him during the recovery time.
Any donations you make, no matter how small, will help cover medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, and daily living expenses during his recovery. Thank you for considering supporting Matt on his road to recovery.
More About the Accident
Matt and Quin were embarking on a dream hike: to traverse the length of Grand Canyon in one continuous journey. Nearly 600 miles of rugged, unforgiving backcountry with practically zero trails to speak of. The planning was intense: pouring over maps, researching routes, considering contingency plans, food planning, caching food & supplies in crucial locations. It was months in the making before they ever took their first steps. They knew it would be an arduous journey and that things likely wouldn’t go 100% to plan, but the preparations were thorough, and they were ready.
On Day 12, they were leaving Lava Canyon to cross a high pass and descend into Unkar Canyon. As they began their ascent towards the pass, clouds started moving, despite the forecast …it was an approaching storm that would end up being one of the more significant winter storms in northern Arizona this past winter.
Just before reaching the pass, Matt found himself walking on a narrow ledge when part of the ledge collapsed underneath him. He fell about 15 feet, bounced off another ledge, then hit a tree and landed on a rocky slope.
They activated their emergency response system that initiated communication with Park Dispatch. Unfortunately, the winter storm would prevent the Park Service helicopter from reaching them.
Matt and Quin huddled under a tarp to try and stay warm and dry. They had to deal with a 50 mile an hour winds, snow, freezing temperatures, and serious pain for 48 hours until the storm broke for long enough to allow a safe helicopter evacuation.
Thankfully, the search and rescue team arrived and skillfully managed a very complicated extraction. Both Matt & Quin were short-hauled (dangling from a rope under the helicopter) from their precarious location to a safer area, where they were then loaded onto the helicopter and evacuated.
Once on the South Rim, Matt was transported to Flagstaff Medical Center where he was immediately taken into surgery.
Matt feels lucky to be alive.
For those of you that have had the pleasure of having Matt as your guide, you know he has devoted his life to sharing his love of Grand Canyon with clients and friends.
Through well over 500 backpacking trips in the canyon, he has inspired and helped countless people, whether it be a struggling hiker, a medical situation, interpretation of history, geology, or just encouraging words to help them hike out of the mile deep gorge.
Moving Forward:
As of today, Matt has been through endless hospital visits and doctor appointments. He wants nothing more than to heal properly and get back to his passion: spending time in the backcountry and sharing his love of Grand Canyon with his guests.
He has already started physical therapy, but the rehabilitation is a slow process. Matt is also working on starting woodworking business: He assured me a woodshop will not replace his guiding career but supplement his income in case he cannot return to guiding this year.
Your contributions will ensure Matt has the opportunity to heal without the stress of paying his bills while unable to work. Plus, help cover the medical costs already incurred.
click to donate, and thank you, truly.