The day after Christmas, Hamp went skiing with a couple of friends.... nothing out of the ordinary.
On one of the popular jumps on the mountain, Hamp tried to pull of a backflip.... also not out of the ordinary.
However, this time he didn't quite land it and ended up knocking himself out pretty good. Enough that his friends called ski patrol to haul him out and an ambulance took him to the ER for evaluation!
I received the following photo from Hamp with the text: "I'm ok don't freak out"
And somehow, I didn't freak out. Might have been the selfie face in the aforementioned picture that let me know Hamp was alright! And when I saw him, I knew he would be ok... albeit a little (a lot?!) sore.
A CT scan showed fractures in his upper back and neck, and a strained cervical ligament... but no misalignment of the spine and no damage to anything major. And because he could walk and talk, the ER sent him home with a neck brace to keep him still for a few weeks!
The real bummer was that his ski season has abruptly ended... but the silver lining is that this has been the reality check this almost 21-year-old needed to keep his skiing a little less risky. And of course, every one of us is grateful that his injuries weren't worse - because they most certainly could have been. We're also grateful for the friends that stayed with him and checked up on him while he was evaluated... that kind of friendship and compassion is extraordinary!
