ATLANTA — A University of Georgia student who survived a skiing accident in Colorado is back in Georgia to get treatment for his injuries.
Channel 2 Action News first told you last week about Ayden Slipsager and his family’s struggles to fly him back to Georgia. His friends started a GoFundMe page to help pay for a medical flight back to Atlanta that could cost up to $150,000.
Ayden’s family got him home this week and moved him into the renowned Shepherd Center on Monday.
“While this was a huge milestone, the cost of the medical transport to get Ayden here is still being paid for. Even though he’s now at Shepherd, that expense hasn’t gone away, and his family continues to face significant financial strain as they work through these costs alongside ongoing care,” according to an update on the GoFundMe page.
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Ayden’s life changed in a flash during a ski trip to Colorado with his fraternity brothers.
Tami Slipsager said she texted her son to take private lessons before he hit the slopes and that she didn’t want him to get hurt.
“And he said, ‘I’m doing OK.’ Well, about two hours later, I got a phone call that he was at the urgent care, that they were putting in a port for breathing and he was bleeding severely,” Tami Slipsager told Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes.
Ayden suffered from several fractures, a broken collarbone, broken ribs and a collapsed lung. His mother said he is heartbroken he won’t get to finish out his freshman year on the UGA campus.
But they are hopeful with the progress he has made.
“Ayden is getting stronger every day! We are truly blessed and grateful to each and every single person who has reached out to express their concern for Ayden, as well as their love and support,” his family said.
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