BOISE, Idaho — We're over a week into the new year but one young skier in Idaho is still enduring the consequences of a stunt gone wrong while attempting to be a part of Idaho's New Year's Potato Drop.
Alex Church was competing in the Urban Air contest to be the skier who would jump in front of the Potato Drop as a part of the New Year's celebration.
Church arrived at the Idaho State Capitol on Dec. 31 to practice on the massive ski jump set up for the night's celebrations.
After taking 3 jumps to get warmed up, Church felt comfortable attempting a backflip. But, when he attempted the jump he overestimated the gap and over-rotated, completing the backflip and continuing to rotate, eventually landing neck-first on the cold, hard ground.
Church didn't feel any pain as his C7 vertebrae shattered, and he remained fully conscious as an ambulance came for him.
By 4 a.m. on New Year's Day, surgeons at Saint Alphonsus had removed the shattered bone and Church had a synthetic C7 vertebrae fitted.
But the road forward for Church is a long one, and he is now looking to be transferred to a rehabilitation facility in Utah to help in his recovery.
"Fortunately, Alex has student insurance that will help cover the cost of the surgery and some rehabilitation, but we know that besides deductibles, there will be many additional expenses such as ambulance transportation for Alex to Salt Lake City, room, board and gas for mom who will stay with Alex throughout the duration of his rehab," Abriana Church wrote on GoFundMe. "And the rotating siblings who will take turns visiting for a week at a time and returning home to take care of our ranch, adaptive equipment for Alex, and the out-patient rehabilitation and services he will need in the months and years ahead."
For those looking to support Alex Church through his treatment and recovery process, donate to the GoFundMe page set up to help Alex and his family.
