Sunshine Coast residents are rallying around one of their own after a life-changing crash.
On July 2, Gibsons’ Brian Smith was road cycling in Portland when he rode over oil or sand on the road. After he lost traction and was unable to slow down, Smith went over the handlebars into as he crashed into a ditch, hitting his head and back on a mountain wall.
“At some level I think I knew I was paralyzed almost right away. I couldn’t feel or move my body at all at first and I was in a lot of pain,” Smith wrote in a statement to Coast Reporter. “After laying there for a couple of minutes, I realized I could move my hands and got one hand standing upright, waving, just above the ditch line. Which is what a passerby car saw and stopped to come help me.”
Two passersby stopped to help, and an ambulance took him to the hospital. Smith had six broken vertebrae, including a spinal cord injury causing paralysis from the chest down, 11 broken ribs, a broken sternum and a broken bone in his hand. His lung was collapsed, the cavity filling with blood. An emergency surgery repaired his collapsed lung and stabilized his spine. From there, he was taken to Vancouver General Hospital where he underwent a second surgery.
“The emergency room did great, were very caring and considerate of both myself and my family. The next few days were rough with a ton of pain but the hospital was great and I’m grateful that I have two sisters-in-law that are both nurses too,” Smith wrote.
The surgeries also confirmed the damage to Smith’s spinal cord, and that he will likely be paralyzed from the chest down for the rest of his life. “It’s not impossible, but it’s not likely” that the use of his legs will come back.
Smith hopes to return home to the Coast by November, and is “really looking forward to getting back onto the farm, even if just to listen to the birds and watch the dogs." The first time Smith was able to roll out of the hospital showed him how getting outside was a critical element to his recovery. He recalls the impact feeling the sun and breeze had on his state of mind.
With that goal in mind, Smith is now dedicating himself to physical therapy and treatment at GF Strong in Vancouver, with the help of a team of people helping him learn and prepare for returning to life outside of the hospital.
Community support
On Aug. 7, a group of the Smiths’ friends started a fundraiser on behalf of the family. They anticipate the high costs associated with renovations to make the Smith home wheelchair accessible, as well as vehicle adaptation, purchasing a wheelchair (which Smith hopes will help him continue to access the farm at Persephone), the costs of appointments and ongoing therapies.
Smith is well known on the Coast for his entrepreneurial spirit, vision for economic development and helping found several initiatives (and a few B Corp-certified companies). To name a few: He co-founded Persephone Brewing Company, Rhiza Captial Inc., the Gibsons Community Building Society, and helped found One Straw Society’s Community Food Box Program. For six years, Smith served as the executive director of Community Futures Sunshine Coast. In 2021, he was the guest of honour at the Gibsons Community Building Society Gala Funderaiser, where he was awarded the Darren Entwistle Community Builder Award.
Since the July 2 incident, Gibsons Building Supply and Hanson Land & Sea have offered their support to help modify the Smith family’s home.
Brian and his wife Melissa are thankful to their community for coming forward with support and generosity.
“What makes me feel loved is the amazing response from my community, which has been immeasurable,” Brian said. A statement from the Smith family said Brian is more passionate than ever to make a positive impact on the world around him and find new and improved ways to connect communities to the outdoors. He looks forward to getting more people with mobility barriers onto farms and trails.
