Caleigh Koppang’s Road to Recovery Gofundme campaign received an update today. The campaign, which has raised $80,705 of the $75K goal has been hugely successful. But Caleigh has more recovering and rehabilition ahead of her.
“I will keep the GoFundme open for another week,” says organizer Marie-Helene Harrisson. “Incredible generosity from everyone, thank you. Here’s an update from the parents:”
Caileigh continues to show incredible resilience on her journey to recovery. She is stable now, but her dissected carotid artery still needs time to heal. The removal of her cervical collar has undoubtedly brought her some comfort. As we patiently wait for Caileigh to fully emerge, we are exploring specialized rehabilitation programs in the U.S., as such programs are not currently available here in Vancouver or elsewhere in Canada. #caileighstrong
The 15-year-old Caleigh Koppang from the North Shore is an up-and-comer on the west coast DH scene. Her results over the past two years have steadily improved culminating in her 2024 season; a second in BC Cup #1 and BC Cup #2 and a third in BC Cup #3 and #8. We Are One and Ride NF are proud sponsors.
On October 17th she sustained significant injuries during a mountain bike crash. These included spinal trauma, a diffuse axonal injury (DAI) to her brain, a dissected carotid artery and multiple brain bleeds.
In a heart-wrenching post on her Instagram feed, Caileigh’s mom asked for postive thoughts:
“Hello, this is Caileigh’s mom reaching out on her behalf. Three weeks ago, Caileigh was involved in a serious biking accident. She is currently in a coma on life support, suffering from spinal injuries and a diffuse axonal injury (DAI) to her brain. We are asking for all the prayers, positive thoughts and support we can get as Caileigh fights her way through this. She’s a strong and resilient young woman and we believe she will come out of this stronger than ever. Thank you all for your love and prayers. We are hopeful that soon, things will get brighter for our little fighter.”
Recovery will be long and difficult for Caileigh and our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family in this trying time. If you want to help, please consider donating to the gofundme campaign.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…