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Just five minutes before leaving for home from a camping trip on July 13, Brit Bradford, the two-year-old son of Cody and Tracie Bradford was trampled by a horse as his dad was trying to load the horse into the trailer.
"Brit has always loved horses and had just woken up from a nap and wanted to help his dad," said Tracie. "Cody was trying to latch our 3-year-old colt and the colt didn't want to get into the trailer. Brit stepped right behind the door, just as the horse stepped back. The horse ended up stepping right over the top of him."
Tracie describes the next few minutes as some of the scariest as she and her husband and their other three children drove the hour to the hospital in Heber. From there Brit was life-flighted to Primary Children's Medical Center.
Upon arriving at PCMC, the family was given more details about the life threatening injuries that Brit sustained. Brit had a fractured skull, four broken ribs, three fractures in his foot and a pleural effusion or abnormal fluid in the lungs which makes it difficult to breathe. He also had a large laceration on the right side of his face from his nostril to the edge of his cheek and had lacerations on the back of his head similar to scalping.
"His injuries looked so bad," said Tracie. "But Brit received many blessings that helped him get well quickly and the plastic surgeons did such a good job fixing his face that it is hard to even tell he had the injuries that he did."
And miraculously, Brit only had to stay in the hospital for three days and came home to his family on Wednesday, July 16. Brit wore a c-collar for three weeks and got to take the collar off just last week and is hoping that his cast can be removed later this week.
"It has really been a miracle," said Tracie. "After the doctors read what happened to him they would comment on how they couldn't believe he was still alive. It is really just amazing he is still with us."
Just a few days after Brit's injury, members of the Arrowhead Riding Club wanted to do something to help one of their own. The club decided to hold a team roping event and would donate all of the money raised to the Bradford family to help with Brit's medical expenses.
"We told them we would be okay and that we had insurance and didn't need the help," said Tracie. "But they insisted."
The benefit roping was held on August 7, at the Benjamin Arena. There were two different events, the Actra #6 and an Open Draw. Each team paid $40 to enter each event and there were over 240 teams who participated. There were so many participants that the event didn't end until 3 a.m.
"It was so overwhelming arriving at the roping and seeing how many people were there," said Tracie. "Right when I pulled in I just started crying. I am so grateful for the wonderful friends we have."
And the Bradford's are grateful for the family like relationships they have with the members of the riding club. Cody has been roping since he was a boy and has gotten to know all of the members both young and old.
"My family commented that they didn't realize how many wonderful friends we have," said Tracie. "The ropers really do stick together and are so awesome about helping out their own. It is like one big family."
The riding club is pleased with the way the event turned out, and are grateful for all the support they received.
"The roping event went really well," said Brad Ford, event organizer. "We had a great turnout and it was great to see everyone come out to help our good friends."
And the Bradford family is grateful for the blessings they have received in this difficult time.
"Brit is doing so well and we are so blessed," said Tracie. "People see him and how good he is doing and can't imagine that he suffered such a horrible accident. We are very grateful to everyone who has helped us out."
If you were unable to attend the benefit roping and would still like to help out the Bradford family, there is a benefit account set up at any Central Bank under Brit Bradford.
The Arrowhead Riding Club would like to thank the following sponsors for their help with the event: Luke Hansen with Prime Electric, Brad Ford with Creative Signs and Graphics, Mike Wallburger with Rocky Mountain Large Animal Clinic, Greg Kessler with Steers, Sam Lunceford with The Oil Change, Randy Burnham with the Piano Gallery, Rocky Giles with Rocky's American Car Care, Jesse Sullivan with S & L Auto, Nick Hanks with Five Star Trailers, Glen Larsen with Frontier Trailers, Casey Pratt with Mirage Landscaping, Western Unlimited, Broken Spoke Tack and Feed, Marty Cole with Deseret Meats and Friends of the Bradford family. |
