A young father is paralyzed from the neck down after suffering a serious spinal cord injury while on the job.
On Tuesday, July 26, Bryan Oakley was working on a construction site in Metchosin, unloading large panes of glass from a trailer, when something suddenly went wrong. The footing where the truck sat shifted, causing three panes of glass, totaling about 600lb, to fall on top of Oakley, pinning him and causing significant spinal injuries.
The incident happened around 1 pm and he was quickly rushed to Victoria General Hospital Trauma Centre, where it was determined he had sustained a C3-C4 fracture. He was then medevaced to Vancouver General Hospital, where he underwent five hours of emergency surgery on his spine.
Long-time family friend, Katie Hannah, tells Victoria Buzz that Bryan is now stable and alert, but was terrified when he came to. He is unable to speak, but can move his eyes to communicate his needs. He remains on life support.
“Because of Bryan’s employers quick actions, Bryan is alive today and the family will be forever grateful,” Hannah said.
Bryan and his finance, Caitlyn, have a 2-year-old together and are set to be married in November.
As Bryan is the sole financial provider for the family, friends have set up a Gofundme campaign to help support the family with travel costs, and to set up a home-base in Vancouver while maintaining living costs in Victoria.
Bryan and his family have a long road ahead of them toward recovery, taking it hour-by-hour.
If you would like to help the family out, click here to make a donation. 25% of all money raised will be placed into a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) for Ryder, the couple’s 2-year-old son.
For updates on Bryan’s recovery, you can follow the Facebook group “Bryan’s road to recovery.“
