On April 6th 2026, our friend Eric Osterlund was thrown from a horse in South Africa and suffered a serious spinal cord injury — a burst fracture of his C5 vertebra. He underwent emergency six-hour surgery in Cape Town and is currently stable in ICU.
Eric has an incomplete spinal cord injury, which means there is hope for recovery — but the road ahead is long, uncertain, and expensive.
Who is Eric?
If you know Eric, you know he lives life at full intensity. He's a man who has done 116 skydives, who surfs like it's a language he was born speaking, who kite surfs, paraglides, scuba dives, rides motorbikes, and has hung off the side of planes doing backflips. He's been to Burning Man, travelled the world, and built a career as a workshop facilitator and educator — running retreats and sessions across Bali, Berlin, Amsterdam, Mexico, and beyond. He hosts a podcast called _Toy Talk_ on Spotify and has written a book. He speaks English, French, and Spanish, German & Portuguese.
But more than any of that — Eric is one of those people who fills a room with energy. He's constantly laughing, cracking the worst (best?) jokes, and making everyone around him feel alive. He lives by the principle of pushing your edge, exploring who you truly are, and encouraging everyone around him to do the same.
The idea that this man — who has built his entire life around movement, connection, and physical expression — is now lying in an ICU bed in Cape Town unable to move his body below the neck is devastating.
What happened?
Eric sustained a C5 burst fracture with an incomplete spinal cord injury (classified as ASIA B). In simple terms: the vertebra in his neck shattered on impact, damaging his spinal cord. He currently has sensation below the injury but no voluntary movement from roughly the shoulders down.
He underwent an emergency corpectomy — a six-hour surgery to remove the shattered vertebra and decompress the spinal cord. The surgery went well though will need further surgeries and therapies to stabilize to begin his road to recovery.
The word "incomplete" is important — it means his spinal cord was not fully severed, and there is potential for recovery. But the extent of that recovery is unknown and will unfold over months and years.
Why we need your help
Eric has travel insurance that covers up to $250,000 USD in medical expenses. That sounds like a lot, but spinal cord injuries are among the most expensive injuries to treat and rehabilitate:
• His ICU stay, surgery, and hospitalization in Cape Town will consume a significant portion of that insurance
• Spinal cord injury rehabilitation is intensive — typically 4-8 months of daily specialist physiotherapy and occupational therapy
• Medical repatriation (a medical flight home) can cost upwards of six-figures alone
• Depending on his recovery, he may need a wheelchair, home adaptations, assistive equipment, and ongoing care
• Eric is self-employed. He has no employer sick pay, no safety net. His ability to earn an income has been taken from him overnight
The costs beyond his insurance will easily reach six figures. We are asking for additional funds to give Eric the best possible chance at recovery without the added stress of financial ruin in the process.
How funds will be used
• Medical and rehabilitation costs beyond insurance coverage
• Medical repatriation when he is stable enough to travel
• Mobility equipment (wheelchair, adaptive devices)
• Home adaptations for accessibility
• Living expenses during recovery while he is unable to work
All costs will be documented and kept organized to ensure your support goes to where it matters.
Who is organising this fundraiser?
This fundraiser was set up by Maximilian Stein, a close friend of Eric Osterlund, and is co-organised by Charles Osterlund (Eric's brother) and Adam Murphy (close friend). Funds are received into Maximilian's bank account and will be transferred directly to Eric and his partner Anna to cover his medical and recovery costs. Eric is currently in ICU and unable to manage his finances. His brother Charles is involved as co-organiser to ensure full transparency and family oversight of how funds are used.
How you can help
Any donation right now makes a difference. If you can't donate, sharing this page is just as valuable — the wider this reaches, the more support Eric gets.
Eric has spent years helping others explore, grow, and connect. Now he needs us!