“Tyler is an amazing person. He has the biggest heart, he will go out of his way to do anything for anyone.”
That is what Melissa Dutchak had to say about her brother, Tyler.
On Monday (May 13) Tyler was in an extremely severe head-on crash with a garbage truck that left him in critical condition with severe full-body injuries.
He was flown to Vancouver for numerous surgeries and treatments after being immediately put into a coma at UHNBC in Prince George.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help Tyler and his family. It has raised over $3,500 in four days.
“Tyler is still in very critical condition,” Melissa explained.
“He had a brain bleed, one of the main arteries in his heart was ruptured, a ruptured spleen, a punctured liver, punctured lung, and all of his ribs were broken. His legs were broken in every single bone and one main artery in his leg was also ripped open.”
Since Monday, Melissa said Tyler has undergone surgeries across most of his body – “an abdominal laparotomy, gotten his left tibia, left femur, right tibia fixed, and an aortic repair,” with many more to go.
The heart surgery may have left Tyler paralyzed, Melissa said they will not know until later in his recovery.
Between the GoFundMe, messages from loved ones and total strangers alike, and prayers from across North America, the Dutchak family has been feeling the overwhelming support of the community.
“I have been reading Tyler the messages that come through for him, he gives facial reactions. That has been cool to see,” she said.
“The money will help Tyler in the long run. He is going to have to be here for another 2-3 months for his healing journey. 6-8 weeks left in the ICU, then if everything goes well he will be moved to a different floor for his rehab before he is flown home to the Prince George hospital.”
“Tyler will not be able to work for a couple years,” she continued. “They don’t think he will be able to walk for quite a while as he has pins and rods from his hip to his ankle in both legs.”
Melissa and her parents have been in Vancouver with Tyler since the accident, she says they plan on staying throughout his entire treatment.
According to the GoFundMe, Tyler and Melissa’s brother also recently passed away.
“Tyler is an amazing person,” she said. “Anybody that meets Tyler will tell you that kid will give you the shirt off his back. If he doesn’t know you and sees you sitting on the side of the road stranded, he will stop and go out of his way to do whatever he can to help you.”
“He has never done wrong to anybody. He is an all-around amazing person, an amazing uncle, an amazing brother, an amazing child… there are so many people all over Prince George, random strangers we get messages from, saying ‘we aren’t strangers anymore, we are family.’ Tyler has hit a lot of people in their hearts. He always has.”
Melissa added Tyler’s accident is suspected to have been caused by a medical emergency that happened while he was driving.
“He is a fighter, he is fighting hard. The doctors are very hopeful for a bright future for Tyler.”
You can read more about Tyler and donate to his GoFundMe here.
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