Boy Suffers Brain Injury While Snowboarding In Oregon

PORTLAND, OR — An 11-year-old boy from Laguna Beach, California, is fighting for his life at Randall Children's Hospital in Portland after sustaining a "catastrophic head injury" while snowboarding on Mt. Bachelor in central Oregon Feb. 20.

A GoFundMe page setup to help Brayden Belden's family pay for his significant medical expenses explains how Brayden ended up at the Legacy Emanuel facility.

"Brayden was air lifted from the mountain to Bend, with his parents driving in blizzard conditions to meet him at the hospital," wrote Emily Van Meter, the GoFundMe account organizer working on behalf of Brayden's father Matt Belden. "When they arrived, they received the news no parent ever wants to hear: the injury was much more serious than initially believed, and their son might only have hours to live."

A second, death-defying life flight to Portland put Brayden's survival into the capable hands of Legacy's experts at Randall Children's Hospital, increasing his odds of survival though he remains in a medically induced coma, Van Meter said.

"Brayden Belden should survive, but it will be a long road back if he makes it," she explained. "One of the many obstacles his family faces is the sheer cost of Brayden’s care. The Beldens are looking at over $100k in out-of-pocket expenses for the life flights alone."

To put that into context, Van Meter compared the Beldens' overall expenses to the average price of a home in the U.S., taking into account not just the hospital costs but also insurance, fees, food and lodging while they're in Oregon, and a third flight back to California when Brayden is ready.

"The Belden family should be concerned about one thing: getting Brayden well," Van Meter said. "We’ve created this Go Fund Me page in hopes that they can focus on his care, and not the crushing medical costs they are facing."

Matt provided an update to Brayden's recovery March 1, happily announcing there will be no need for Brayden to undergo a decompressive craniectomy — a procedure that sees a portion of skull removed to allow a brain to swell without causing added damage.

According to Matt, one-third of brain injuries require the procedure; but when one is administered, it's typically because other treatments aren't working.

"Brayden’s brain swelling appears to have topped out and he is tolerating his meds. He is following the treatment plan and is fighting," Matt said. "Denise and I thank you so much for all of your love and support and I know Brayden feels all the love and prayers and he is fighting."

In the five days since the GoFundMe account was established, nearly 1,500 people raised $110,879 of the $275,000 goal.

Click here to make your own donation.

Images via Emily Van Meter, on behalf of Matt Belden, at GoFundMe.com

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