Jake Suttling was making what should have been a simple half-hour motorcycle ride to his mom’s home for Mother’s Day when he was struck by a pickup truck.
It happened at the intersection of Hwy 6 and School Road in Lavington, and instead of arriving at his mom’s home for brunch, he was airlifted to Kelowna General Hospital.
“At 10:30 am, on May 14, I received a message that no mother ever wants to receive,” wrote Suttling’s mom Gen Acton on a GoFundMe she set up for her son. “‘Was your son coming to see you in Lumby? He’s been in an accident.”
Since arriving at KGH, Suttling has been under the care of a team of trauma surgeons who Acton says have been working hard to save his legs.
“So far, he has undergone 11 hours of complex surgeries on his lower body,” Acton explained.
He suffered critical injuries to his pelvis, hips, knees, femur, bilateral lower leg and both wrists, along with internal injuries. He will also need extensive dental repairs.
“This is going to be a long and onerous journey to recovery, and Jake's life will never be the same,” his mom said.
“He will need to relocate from his home following his hospital stay to a wheelchair accessible home that will allow for the special equipment required for his rehabilitation.”
Suttling also works in manual labour as a tile setter, which means the accident is detrimental to his career for the foreseeable future and potentially long-term.
Acton has set up the fundraiser to help cover the costs of her son’s lengthy recovery and the significant amount of income that he will lose while unable to work.
“While there are many losses here, we are thankful to still have Jake with us,” Acton noted. “If not for the conscientiousness of his personal safety with protective clothing it could have been a very different story.”
Acton also noted that Suttling has already shown a lot of strength and resilience after the accident, as well as compassion for the driver who hit him, which is “truly remarkable.”
If you would like to contribute to the GoFundMe and support Suttling during this difficult time, click this link.
