Paralyzed teen 'ready to fight'

Hutchinson News, The (KS)

Jan. 13--A Hutchinson teen paralyzed in a single-vehicle rollover crash Friday evening is determined to return to wrestling someday, his mother said.

While his prognosis from the fractures to the C4 and C5 vertebra in his upper spine indicate he won't regain function of his arms or legs, Raiden Stewart, 16, was able to slightly lift his left hand on Sunday, his mother said.

"He's ready to fight this battle," said Tara Trotter-Stewart. "He's ready to prove the surgeons wrong. He told us he'd return to wrestling. It will probably be as a manager, but he said one way or another he's going to walk to the mat or wheel himself out."

The teen was driving home from school at Buhler on Friday and lost control of his truck on the rain-slickened roadway. The truck rolled several times, and Raiden had to be extricated by first responders.

He is currently housed at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita awaiting transfer to a specialty spine rehabilitation facility in Colorado or Nebraska.

A cousin of Trotter-Stewart has started a GoFundMe page, at Rallying for Raiden, to assist the family with ongoing and future expenses.

A fundraiser is also set for 5 to 8 p.m. Jan. 21 at the Spangles at 120 E. Fourth Ave. in Hutchinson. Patrons visiting the store need to mention they are there for the fundraiser and 20% of the bill will go to the family.

Raiden was on the varsity football and wrestling teams at Buhler. He placed first in his weight class in a recent wrestling tournament at Douglass High and second in Abilene, while the 5-foot-11, 220-pound junior played center in football.

The Spring Hill student he defeated at Douglass was one of the first who reached to the family after hearing of the crash, Trotter-Stewart said. The McPherson wrestling team also donated to the GoFundMe page.

"We were very shocked by the community response," Trotter-Stewart said. "The first night was overwhelming with all the support and how quickly everybody was doing everything ... People have reached out from all over. We told Raiden about it and he cried. He couldn't understand why so many people are supporting him who didn't know him."

A lot of people have reached out who have had spinal injuries or know someone who has, offering comfort and advice.

"Most who've contacted us, however, are not quite the same as his," she said. "It's hard to gauge what his rehab will be like compared to others."

The family's needs going forward, however, will be great.

Their employers have been good about accommodating them, letting Trotter-Stewart and her ex-husband off work, but someone will have to be with Raiden virtually full-time now, she noted, starting with rehab and later when he returns home. There will be extensive travel expenses and medical bills not covered by insurance that are already piling up.

"Raiden has a big heart," his mom said. "He's making this very easy for us. For a 16-year-old, he's not whiny, saying 'why did this happen to me.' He's very positive about it and accepting it. He said the first night he'd rather this happened to him than anyone else's kid. He's a big teddy bear with a good heart."

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