Brandon’s Story

Site created on October 14, 2022

Montana Orange Soda

Tuesday morning my husband’s name became Montana Orange Soda, Unidentified.

I work in a call center. I felt in my pocket, my phone ring/vibrate, then a buzz. No one leaves a message, and texts feel different than that.

After my call, I walked off the floor (no phones allowed), to read a poorly dictated message including the words nurse and motorcycle. My gut sank. I called back right away. A nurse, who knew my name but not the name of the person she was calling about, told me my husband, Montana Orange Soda, was badly injured.

On the 3.5 hour drive to the hospital in Minneapolis, every scenario went through my head. The only one I suspected could be true comes from an eyewitness to an accident in the area where it likely took place.

“I arrived at work at 10:39am (I made a call from our parking lot that’s how I know). So right before I entered the frontage road, cars were stopping even though it was a green light. As I entered the turn lane to enter the frontage road I realized there was an accident with a motorcycle. The motorcycle was like in the intersection and the rider was 70-100 feet away from the bike (he was laying east of the bike on 62). He looked to be wearing black pants and I was certain he had a helmet. There was a lot of glass in the intersection, too much glass to be just from the bike (in my opinion), there was probably 7 cars pulled over with people out surrounding the motorcyclist. I couldn’t see what car may have been involved as there were multiple cars stopped trying to check on the person, and I was just trying to get on the frontage road.”

When I got to the hospital, I was looking through Brandon’s belonging for clues when I found bone fragments the size of my whole thumb, in a specimen cup.

Brandon is hurt, badly. He wears gear every day he rides. Helmet, jacket, gloves. That is what saved his life.

His head, spine and neck are unharmed. He was not even in a neck brace when I saw him, but everything else is broken. Both arms, both legs, pelvis in several places including compound fractures which I assume is the source of the bone fragments I found in his backpack. Also, severe injury to his groin, ankles, and wrists.

He has had several surgeries now, as of day 4. He has about 5 more that need to be done, unless they can combine them.

This will be many months or years of recovery but he is here because he wears protective gear. I will do my best to keep people updated on his condition.

Brandon is an amazing soul with a kindness that is rarely found, and that is why I love him.

I have said “this is not ideal, but we can do it” a lot recently. I guess we will just add this to the list.

For Brandon’s recovery purposes no visitors at this time unless okayed by family.


https://www.gofundme.com/f/brandon-lauer-recovery-support?qid=06054e488621a100d5792c8b17e05dea

Newest Update

One Year Later

Journal entry by Nicholas Perkins —

a year ago today my life changed forever. riding my motorcycle to work on what was the last nice day of fall, a car turned in front of me as I entered an intersection. I had no time to react. the impact forced the front wheel to turn to the right, pushing the handlebar in the same direction. as my body was ejected from the motorcycle, the handlebar took out 4 inches (10cm) of my right femur, and then I flew 120 feet (40m) through the air before landing on my pelvis and arms. 

I remember certain parts of the accident, but not all of it - and I have no desire to remember more. I am told I was conscious the entire time I was in the hospital, though I don’t remember much at all from ICU. but once I started remembering things again (about two weeks later), it was then I came to understand the extent of the damage. I learned that I nearly died. I had already had a number of surgeries and was queued up for more. I couldn’t move (I was only allowed to put weight into my right elbow; it didn’t matter as I was so wrapped up and in so much pain). the trauma of the incident is something I am still processing - there was so much pain and so much happening that it was impossible to fully comprehend all of it, and it still feels like a daunting and imposing task. 

but it is one year later, and I am still here. 74 days in the hospital, and 20 surgeries. my body has healed in a remarkable way. I am already doing many things that I wasn’t sure I would ever do again. of course, there are still other things I struggle with, but I have to remind myself that it has only been a year. while many things can happen in that time frame, healing bones is not something that can be rushed. 

when everything in your life changes in an instant, and when virtually all that you know has been taken away, it leaves you with some very stark options. in the earliest days of my memory after the accident, despite being in the worst moment of my life, I chose to be happy. from that decision, I found true happiness which initiated a complete new interpretation of life and what is important. I hope to share more about that journey with you in the near future. but for right now, I am content to just be.
Read More of the journal titled "One Year Later"
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