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Back on his own two wheels

INJURED BOY: Lacey firefighters rejoice in recovery of 10-year-old accident victim, who gets a new bike

JEREMY PAWLOSKI; The Olympian | • Published October 17, 2009

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LACEY - Lacey firefighters who responded to an Aug. 17 bicycle crash on Judd Street said it was the toughest type of call they ever have to respond to: a child needing emergency medical care after suffering a traumatic injury.

Tyler Ridenour, 10, was run over by a trailer attached to a sport utility vehicle after the boy inadvertently rode his bike through a stop sign. He suffered a fractured left eye socket, four broken ribs, a broken right clavicle, multiple pelvis fractures, a lacerated liver, two partially collapsed lungs and a broken sacrum.

On Friday, Lacey firefighters got a chance to congratulate Tyler on a recovery that most involved agree is nothing short of miraculous.

“I’ve got a son who’s close to the same age, and that’s all I thought about,” Lacey Fire Lt. Ryan Fox said about arriving to find Tyler lying on the ground.

“We all have kids, almost all of us have kids, and seeing a 10-year-old face-down in the street, it’s tough,” added Lacey Fire Battalion Chief Tim Hulse.

The emergency room doctor at Providence St. Peter Hospital said Tyler’s bike helmet saved his life, according to Tyler’s mother, Kimberly Paddock.

“If he didn’t have that helmet on, he wouldn’t be here today,” Paddock said.

Tyler, his mother, his two brothers and an older sister arrived at the fire station on Franz Street so firefighters could give Tyler a special treat: a brand-new bicycle that they donated with the help of the Lacey Target store and the Lacey Police Department.

Tyler was a bit shy with all the attention. He pulled up one of his shirtsleeves to show firefighters one of his scars and sat down to enjoy some snacks.

“Chicks dig scars,” firefighter Ryan Cox joked. Later, Tyler got a tour of the fire station and rode his new bicycle around the indoor parking area at the fire station.

Hulse said firefighters don’t often get to see the positive results of their efforts during an emergency response – in this case, a healthy, fully recovered child.

Judging by the smiles, the firefighters got almost as big a kick out of giving Tyler the bicycle as Tyler did receiving it.

“It’s kind of a fun thing to do, hook him up with a bike,” Hulse said.

After the Aug. 17 collision, it took firefighters less than three minutes to respond to the scene, and Tyler was on his way to the hospital in an ambulance after eight minutes, Hulse said.

Fire Lt. Jeff McDaniel is one of the paramedics who performed Tyler’s spinal immobilization at the scene. He said “absolutely” that the quick response and aggressive care given by the entire crew helped Tyler recover so well.

“It’s all about time,” McDaniel said. “If we can get him in and out fast. In this case, it was very fast.”

Knowing Tyler has recovered “is very gratifying,” McDaniel said. “That’s why we come to work every day.”

Tyler later was flown by helicopter to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. He spent five days there – three of those in the hospital’s intensive-care unit, Paddock said.

Paddock said she was home at the time of the collision, about two blocks away. She said that when she sped to the scene, she was “out of my mind.” She said she was extremely thankful for the Lacey emergency responders.

“It was overwhelming, how many people were there to help,” Paddock said.

Paddock said Tyler is back attending classes at Mountain View Elementary School. After he got out of the hospital, he walked with a cane, she added, but he doesn’t need it anymore.

“He’s completely recovered,” Paddock said.

Paddock said Tyler “never cried in the hospital, never complained, nothing. If it was me, I’d probably still be in the hospital, crying.”

Lacey firefighters said they want to remind parents that the department offers free bicycle helmets for children that can be picked up at the fire station.

Jeremy Pawloski: 360-754-5465

jpawloski@theolympian.com