Mike Aitken Crash/On the mend - Threads merged

[AAARGH!]

Originally Posted by r3dman15

were ur pads

no clue he had gotten injred

lern too speell..

Prayers to Mike and his family. It is a shame what happened, good chance the injuries would have been far less on the head with a helmet. I always give kids a hard time when I see them w/o helmets, and ask them a bunch of 'what if?' questions. You can't make them wear helmets unless they're your own kids.

[giantfro]

Originally Posted by DISCO

Just like the crocodile hunter pulled the short straw one day if you play with fire long enough...

Even the most skilled professionals are only human, and though they might have celebrity status, get their bike free, most of them are just regular people with lots of practice=talent. Most don't roll like Lance, Tiger, or Tony Hawk I have known and ridden with Mike and he is one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. But rich he aint, and with his prior injuries health insurance was denied repeatably, A lot of people think his sponsor should pick up the tab because they fail to realize a BMX company is not a goldmine. I actually know the owner of his brand and he is not rich because he re-distributes the wealth from sales to talented riders like mike, in fact he was the first one to jump a plane when he heard the news. Any hater could insert the Darwinian reference to his not wearing a helmet but they fail to account for Guys like Steven Murray who are paralyzed despite wearing gear. We are all gonna go sometime, the only thing (sometimes) beyond our control is when. Mike was doing what he loved most, and my prayers are with him that just like me he can recover from his injuries and get back on the horse.

very well put

[dirtyjeff]

Originally Posted by giantfro

very well put

x2

[tkblazer]

a nice lil clip of some bmx crashes

http://actionsportsgroup.net/blog/bike/?p=338

[downhiller91]

we had a raffel at our bike park to day for him
they raised quite a bit of money
i won a shirt and my friend just won a new fit 3.5 frame

[slo65]

sad to hear, i skateboarded for 6 years or so and i never wore a helmet, looking back it was very stupid considering some of the handrails/roof gaps etc i was doing. hopefully he pulls out of it

[giantfro]

Originally Posted by tkblazer

a nice lil clip of some bmx crashes

http://actionsportsgroup.net/blog/bike/?p=338

I hate crash videos. i just dont get why you would want to see guys go down

but thats just me

[2wheel_lee]

Originally Posted by tkblazer

a nice lil clip of some bmx crashes

http://actionsportsgroup.net/blog/bike/?p=338

I'm in pain from watching all of that! (good crash vid, btw)

Thank you for the reminder why I don't want to build an urban BMX bike.

I remember years ago (like the 80s, for sure ) no one ever wore helmets. It was barely even mentioned. People weren't going as big as they are now (or most people, anyway), and many people survived. Some times you have to learn the hard way.

I learned the hard way.

But I still don't like wearing a helmet.

But even having said that, I won't do "bigger" stuff (for me) at Summit and other locations unless I'm wearing a full-faced helmet.

[strobelite]

Originally Posted by Mudman

lol why don't the wood pushers ever get any flak?

because waiting in line to drop in on the mini ramp at rsa, the skaters are respectful, and wait their turn. the stupid fruit booters climb the ladder, and drop in by snaking other peoples turns.

i hope mike gets well, he is an awesome rider who has forced the sport of bmx to progress.

[Kid A]

BMX Star Making Amazing Progress




There's an old saying, "Nothing is impossible." BMX star Mike Aitken is proving that to be true.

Aitken crashed hard over a month ago, when he over-rotated a 360 and came down on his head. He wasn't wearing a helmet, and the impact slammed his brain and broke bones in his face. He was in a coma and non-responsive. Tests showed bleeding in his brain and damage to his brain stem. No one knew what the outcome would be. Some people in that condition remain so brain damaged that they are never truly alive again.

Aitken's sister, Carrie Patterson, began tirelessly updating Mikey's blog on a daily basis. Through it, his legions of fans all over the world learned of Aitken's efforts to move his right arm, his struggles to speak, remember things and recognize friends. Patterson detailed the ambulance flight back home to Salt Lake, where Mikey was placed in a trauma one hospital. Daily, she read him all the hundreds of "get well" emails and letters.

His progress amazed his doctors and physical therapists. In fact, what Mikey has managed to do with his own determination has made medical history. He is walking. His feeding tube has now been removed and he can swallow on his own. He can lift his right arm above his head.On November 9, Patterson wrote: "He is now hopping a little on one leg! Mike's speech is improving bit by bit as well. He still struggles to find words as he's speaking, but each day his voice becomes a little louder and he is more and more able to hold a conversation."

And if you get teary-eyed easily, reach for a tissue. Mikey was able to leave the hospital for three hours over the weekend to attend his oldest brother's birthday party. Before his accident, the star rider had been talking about buying a pug puppy to keep his bulldog company. When he walked (yes, walked) into his brother's house, he was presented with a 10-week-old pug pup. He happily watched his son, Owen, giggle as the little boy played with the new addition to the family. Then he went outside to sit on his new snowmobile, purchased shortly before the accident. He started it up. One can only imagine what went through the minds of Mikey and the entire Aitken family as they realized that he would actually be able to drive that snowmobile himself, and spend his life as a functional person, not as someone severely brain damaged and needing constant care.

And total props to Utah's youthful governor, Jon Huntsman. Patterson writes on the blog, "Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, apparently a bit of a BMX fan, took some time out of his busy schedule yesterday to stop by and sit down with Mike. The governor offered his well wishes and the two discussed the love of two wheels. Mike and the Aitken family were very humbled by the visit; the governor is a very genuine and kind man."

She closes the day's good news by once again thanking the entire BMX community, which has donated several hundred thousand dollars to pay a small part of Mikey's medical bills, for their love and prayers. When you think of the contributions flowing in from all over the world, the overwhelming efforts of this young rider to recover from a devastating injury, and the unstinting love of a close knit family, there's only one thought that comes to mind: this story could be one of the most inspirational films ever made.

Help Mike Aitken by donating at 5050BMX.com.