Hope remains for injured mountain biker
In the video of Jeff Marquis you can
see hope.
Hope that Marquis, who suffered a
spinal cord injury in September, might continue to regain movement
in his arms and legs. The video shows Marquis sitting on a physical
therapy table with a brace around his neck. He is bent forward at
the waist and then makes a jerky movement with his arms and
shoulders as he sits upright.
“It’s pretty tiring,” Marquis said from
Craig Hospital in Denver, Colo., last week.
“He was really tired — his body is
adjusting to the new demands on it,” his brother Louis Marquis
added. “He is doing really well.”
It was just more than a month ago that
Marquis was mountain biking on Spencer Mountain outside of
Whitefish. He took an unexpected fast line “went over the handle
bars” and landed on the ground.
“I lost feeling right away,” he
said.
Marquis called out for help. He had
seen another rider earlier.
“I told him not to move me,” he said,
but asked the rider to call 911.
The rescue crew arrived pretty quickly
to the lower flanks of the mountain. Marquis, having taken a first
responder course, was able to describe what was happening. He was
fitted with a cervical collar and hauled out on a stretcher.
Marquis suffered a spinal cord injury
and underwent surgery at Kalispell Regional Medical Center.
He’s now at Craig Hospital, a spinal
cord and head injury rehabilitation center. His recovery continues
with physical therapy.
Marquis has sensation throughout his
body, but what he says is “not normal” feeling. In his upper body
he can feel temperature and light touch. Feeling is less distinct
in his lower body, but he says he can feel it when someone squeezes
his foot.
Doctors expect him to remain in the
hospital for the next four to six months as his physical therapy
becomes more intense.
“He’s lost quite a bit of weight,”
Louis said, but the hope is that his time in the hospital will be
on the shorter end of the timeframe. Family members are taking
turns staying with him.
A benefit for Marquis is set for Friday
in Whitefish. His girlfriend Heather Cauffman is organizing the
Pints for a Purpose and silent auction event at Great Northern
Brewing Company. The night begins at 6 p.m. and free food is being
catered by Tupelo. Marquis has worked as a sous chef at Tupelo
Grille for the last four years.
The support feels “pretty good” Marquis
said of the benefit.
“We appreciate their support and
everything Whitefish has done,” Louis added. “Whitefish has a lot
of people really looking out for him.”
Marquis’ family has also set up a
special needs trust for him. Donations can be made to the Jeffrey
M. Marquis S.N.T. at Wells Fargo Bank in Kalispell or mailed to
Cauffman at P.O. Box 1352, Whitefish, MT 59937.
Marquis seems to be progressing quickly
in recovery. He’s recently had a smaller tracheotomy put in, which
means his ability to breath on his own is improving. He expects to
move from an electric wheelchair to a non-motorized chair soon.
“Nothing is promised in his recovery,
but nothing says he might not gain either,” Louis said.
Hope remains.