On September 20, Austin was involved in a devastating motorcycle accident in Holiday, Florida.

Austin was wearing his helmet. He is a safe and experienced rider. But during the accident, his Harley came down on his face.

The injuries were catastrophic.

Austin suffered extensive facial trauma requiring major reconstructive surgery. His surgeons used 7 plates and 41 screws to rebuild his face. His jaw is wired shut, he has a tracheostomy to protect his airway while he heals, and the swelling has been so severe that his eyes have remained swollen shut.

We have now received the results of his MRI, and we've learned that the damage to one of his eyes is too severe to save it.

Austin is losing his eye.

That's an incredibly difficult reality for him and for everyone who loves him. And it's one more piece of a recovery that is going to be measured in months, not days.

Right now, Austin is still in the hospital. We expect him to remain there for an extended period, and when he does come home, there will still be surgeries, appointments, rehabilitation and a great deal of healing ahead of him.

He also won't be able to work for the foreseeable future.

Austin has very little paid leave available through his employer. Once those few paid days are exhausted, FMLA will protect his job, but it does not provide a paycheck.

And unfortunately, bills don't stop arriving just because your entire life has been turned upside down.

Since the accident, so many people have reached out to us asking the same question:

"What can we do?"

That's why we're creating this fundraiser.

Right now, one of the most meaningful things we can do for Austin is give him the ability to concentrate on recovering without also lying in a hospital bed wondering how he's going to keep his bills paid.

Funds raised will help replace Austin's lost income and cover his regular living expenses while he is unable to work, as well as medical expenses, rehabilitation, medications, transportation, insurance costs and the many other expenses we know will come with rebuilding his life after this accident.

There are still many things we don't know.

We don't know exactly how long he'll remain hospitalized.

We don't know when he'll be able to return to work.

We don't know yet what adapting to the loss of his eye will require or what additional procedures and rehabilitation are ahead.

But we know Austin has survived something horrific.

And now he has a hell of a fight ahead of him.

If you're able to donate, whether it's $5, $20, $100 or more, thank you. Every dollar gives Austin a little more breathing room and allows him to focus on the only job he should have right now:

Healing.

If you can't donate, please share his story. That matters, too.

And to everyone who has called, texted, prayed, checked on him, offered help, sat with us, or simply asked what you could do—thank you.

The amount of love surrounding Austin right now has been extraordinary.

We're going to need some of that love for the long road ahead.

We'll continue sharing updates as Austin's recovery progresses.

Thank you for helping us carry him through it.