While many students were partying on the sandy shores during spring break, Hocking College student Grace Wyatt was fighting for her life.
After sustaining critical head injuries in a bike accident March 17, the 20-year-old studying ecotourism was life-flighted to Grant Medical Center in Columbus.
Grace was riding her bike in Athens when she lost control and flipped over the handlebars.
Andy Wyatt, Grace’s father, was in North Carolina when he received a phone call from his grief-stricken wife.
“I was shocked and stunned,” Andy said. “It was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever been through. I’ve become a praying man and I wasn’t before.”
In need of hope, Sarah Wyatt, Grace’s sister, remembered her family’s mantra: “sisu,” a Finnish word meaning “strength.” Sarah believes her sister is a perfect example of the phrase.
“She’s not a baby,” Sarah said. “She has done so many things — like climbing the Grand Canyon — and she will get right back up and get on a bike the day she can. Of course, she will be wearing a helmet, maybe even some knee and elbow pads.”
Though Grace is still in critical condition, she continues to take small steps to recovery. Despite weakness in her left side and short-term memory loss, Grace was able to take her first few steps, speak and sit up in bed Wednesday.
“When I saw my daughter laying there unconscious, there was an unspeakable amount of pain,” Andy said. “Later, we noticed she was making a face and I bent down and asked, ‘Are you hurting Grace?’ and she slowly shook her head yes. … We all just melted. It was the first moment we knew we still had her.”
As family and friends continue to pray for Grace, those around them have leapt into action, including Kara Roberts, an Ohio University junior studying marine fresh water and environmental biology and a close friend of Grace’s. After a visit with Grace, she decided to organize a bike ride in her honor.
“When I left (the hospital), I was thinking about how long she has been in the hospital and how much therapy she would go through,” Roberts said. “I just thought it would be a nice gesture to support her family.”
Though Roberts would like to raise money for the family, she has an extra goal in mind.
“Even if it’s a little bit, it’s helpful,” Roberts said. “But my goal is for everyone who does the bike ride to wear a helmet. I thought that would be a neat statement to shed light on what has happened.”
The bike ride will start at 3 p.m. Sunday, beginning on College Green. The route will include Court Street and will run through various locations in the Athens area.
As Grace continues to recover, the Wyatt family remains thankful for people such as Roberts for their generosity.
“When someone shows you that they care and are saying a prayer for you, I can’t explain how much that helps,” Andy said. “I can’t tell you how encouraging and helpful those things are when I know somebody else cares.”
lf328610@ohiou.edu
