Young Surf Stud Suffers Near-Fatal Snowboarding Incident

The perils of an action sports lifestyle are truly prolific. One day you’re floating in a wild ocean, riding atop a hard fiberglass board with razor-sharp rudders, all of which happens above (maybe) rocks or reef and (probably) man-eating beasts; the next you’re hurdling down a snow-covered mountain, jumping off ramps, gliding atop metal poles, dodging trees and rocks until your edge gives out and you discover just how hard those objects can be. 

Last week 11-year-old Brayden Belden fell while snowboarding in Mt. Bachelor, Oregon. We don’t know the full details of the fall, but we do know that it resulted in a serious head injury — one that almost killed the young surfer. 

Brayden, pre-accident.

From Brayden’s GoFundMe page:

Brayden was air lifted from the mountain to Bend, with his parents driving in blizzard conditions to meet him at the hospital. When they arrived, they received the news no parent ever wants to hear: the injury was much more serious than initially believed, and their son might only have hours to live.

For the next hour, Brayden’s life hung in the balance as doctors worked to stabilize him so that he might survive a second life flight to Randall Children’s Hospital in Portland, where the right experts and equipment could give him a fighting chance. Brayden defied the odds and was flown to Randall, where he remains in a medically induced coma in the ICU.

Brayden Belden should survive, but it will be a long road back if he makes it.

One of the many obstacles his family faces is the sheer cost of Brayden’s care. The Beldens are looking at over $100k in out-of-pocket expenses for the life flights alone. In addition, Brayden will eventually need to be airlifted to a hospital closer to his home in California, which could double that number. Then there are deductibles, out-of-network-fees, and the cost of food and lodging.

When you add it all up, the end cost to the family will likely exceed the price of the average home in the United States.

The Belden family should be concerned about one thing: getting Brayden well. We’ve created this Go Fund Me page in hopes that they can focus on his care, and not the crushing medical costs they are facing. 

The Belden Family thanks you so much for your support and love. Prayer and positive energy are so powerful and much appreciated! Brayden can take all the love you can share. Knowing he has so much love has helped us, too. We are blessed to be in a community that cares so much.

We’ll use this page to stay in contact and will keep you updated on his progress

Thank you.
The Belden Family & Friends

Yeah, the kid can surf.

Despite him being in a medically-induced coma, Stab is delighted to hear that Brayden should survive this accident, and we want to do everything we can to help on his path to recovery. At this juncture, that means getting Brayden’s story out there and imploring people to help cover the extensive air-lift fees (Brayden has medical insurance but it doesn’t cover the exorbitant costs of med-evac) that saved his life.

So please, if you could, throw a few bones Brayden’s way. It’ll raise your spirits more than it deflates your wallet.