FAMILY RAISE CASH FOR RIDER
BEFORE last week, Braden Booth had never been in a crash in the 20-odd years he has ridden motorbikes.
Now he is facing life in a wheelchair.
The 32-year-old suffered spinal injuries after hitting a ute while doing a U-turn on the Old Pacific Hwy, Oxenford, about 4pm on May 28. He was rushed to Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital, where he remains in the intensive care unit in a critical but stable condition.
His sister, Hayley Booth, has set up a GoFundMe page, hoping to raise $15,000 to help with his recovery.
“He has to go through a hell of a lot of rehab. His house will have to be changed … to be built for him,” Hayley said.
“You can’t have a house with carpet. Your bathroom needs to be basically a big tiled area. He will need bigger doors … ramps.
“He might not ever be able to eat again. We might need nurses and home care people. Just little things that we take for granted.”
Braden “has been doing OK”, but could be in hospital for up to a year.
“He doesn’t remember anything. It’s going to be a really long process. I’m here all the time with him … it’s very strenuous, but we just have to be here for him.”
She said Braden drove an excavator for work and loved making others laugh.
“He’s the class clown. He has a really big heart. He’ll help anybody. He’s very straight forward, down the line. He loves riding motorbikes. He’s been riding since he was four.
“He’s fallen off (a motorbike) before and skinned his knee, but nothing like this.”
Ms Booth said the family was grateful for the people who stopped and helped at the scene of the crash.
“A lot of them have contacted me. They’re very supportive. We’re very appreciative for their help. The fact they didn’t leave him and stayed with him the whole time, they talked to him. They were really good.”
Investigations into the crash are ongoing.