In the middle of an amazing Labor Day weekend at the cabin with friends, Kirk suffered a serious jet ski accident on Sunday, September 2.
He was evacuated off Lake Chetac on his boat, then had 2 ambulance rides (thank you to Birchwood rescue). When he arrived at Rice Lake hospital a CT scan revealed a life-threatening ruptured artery in his abdomen.
Kirk was medflighted via helicopter to Mayo - Luther hospital in Eau Claire. He spent several days there in the ICU, and had two surgeries to address the abdominal compartment syndrome as a result of his internal injuries. He also developed deep vein thrombosis which we are continuing to treat. He was then transferred to Mayo Clinic's St. Mary's hospital in Rochester, MN to repair his broken left pelvis. He had two reconstructive surgeries at Mayo and remained there until Tuesday, September 25th.
He moved to inpatient care at the Transitional Care Unit at Aurora on France for several weeks, and then made the transition home.
We are deeply thankful that Kirk survived his injuries, and that he is expected to make a full recovery, albeit with a few minor lifelong effects. Our family and close friends have sustained us through this difficult time and we are so very thankful for all the love and support we have received.
CaringBridge is a nonprofit social network dedicated to helping family and friends communicate with and support loved ones during a health journey. Learn more about CaringBridge.
