Chris Campbell is more likely to help someone else than to ask for it himself. But, right now, as he fights back from a life-changing accident, he could really use some assistance.
Campbell, a 33-year-old Prince George resident, is currently at the G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre in Vancouver. He's paralyzed from the chest down, the result of a mountainbike crash on May 19 on Cranbrook Hill.
His friends - and a lot of people who don't even know him - have started to raise money on his behalf. So far, they have generated close to $10,000. About $2,000 of that came from a fundraising event spearheaded by P.G.'s Trevor Patenaude, whose bond with Campbell is so strong that the two men are like brothers. The other $8,000 has been collected through a web-based GoFundMe page set up by Patenaude's wife, Crystal. Patenaude's goal is to raise at least $35,000 in total - enough for a down payment on a house and for some of the renovations that will have to be made so Campbell can live as normal a life as possible.
"I'm doing whatever I can to get the word out there to the community and the biking community that this guy has put so much into so many people's lives that, no matter how big or how small, we can all do something to put a little support back into him," Patenaude said.
"When my wife started the GoFundMe page, I was talking with (Campbell's) sister Ange and she was pretty hesitant," Patenaude added. "She thought Chris was not going to be a fan of this just because he is never the guy to ask for help. He's a very determined and proud individual and he doesn't like to seem vulnerable. And that's where all of this has come in. It's not necessarily that I think he deserves this help because of what happened to him, I think he deserves it because of what he's done since then. He's taken this thing head-on and he understands this is a very long road ahead of him. He understands that everything in his life is going to change, but he also understands he's extremely lucky to be here today."
Campbell, who had been living in a rental property in Prince George with girlfriend Sarah, does have the use of his arms, which he considers a blessing. But he has no other feeling or movement below mid-chest.
At the time of his accident, Campbell was wearing full protective gear, including a neck support device and a helmet. Those items likely saved his life.
For the past several years, whenever Campbell wasn't using his spare time to pursue his passion for downhill mountainbiking, he was using it to build and improve trails. Or, as a guy who custom-built his own ride, he was using his free moments to help others tool their bikes. Whatever the problem or challenge, Campbell would pitch in on the solution.
But, on May 19 - a Tuesday - he was in the saddle. A couple days earlier, he had cleared the Dock Jump on the Cranbrook Hill trail system, something he had been trying to do for a long time. So on the Tuesday, he met some friends back at the site so his success could be captured on camera. Campbell again cleared the jump - which has about a 40-foot gap between the take-off and landing ramps - but the picture didn't work out.
Campbell went back up for one more attempt. And he again landed the Dock Jump but that's when things went wrong.
When Campbell's wheels hit the ground, he couldn't stop before he got to the next jump down the trail. He had a decision to make, and he had to make it in a split second - keep trying to stop, or try to clear the next jump too. Stuck in mountainbiker no-man's-land, he decided his best option was to try to clear the second jump.
He didn't make it. It was a jump he had done countless times before, but this time - because he hadn't been able to commit 100 per cent - he failed to land cleanly and was thrown headfirst into the unforgiving ground.
It took an emergency medical crew about an hour to remove Campbell from the hill and get him to the University Hospital of Northern B.C. There, doctors determined his injuries were severe and he was airlifted to Vancouver General Hospital where he underwent surgery for a shattered vertebra.
After an initial stay at VGH, Campbell was transferred to G.F. Strong. His first roommate was a 15-year-old who had also been paralyzed in an accident and, true to form, Campbell has taken it upon himself to keep the boy's spirits up.
"He's already trying to be a positive influence for this 15-year-old he just met," Patenaude said.
If everything goes according to schedule, Campbell will be ready to leave G.F. Strong in late August or early September. Upon Campbell's arrival back home, Patenaude would love to be able to present him with the money for that down payment and the new start it will give him. For anyone who can contribute to the cause, the GoFundMe link is: http://www.gofundme.com/ChrisStayStrong.
Shortly after the GoFundMe page went live on May 23, Campbell himself made the following post: "This has grown so huge and so many familiar faces and so many new. It brings tears to my eyes the support. I have a long hard road ahead but will fight my heart out to get the best results. Thank you so much everyone!"
