ALMOST
ALMOST KILLED. HE WASN'T WEARING A HELMET.
HERE'S THE LATEST IN OUR SERIES
OF REPORTS CALLED AIDEN'S
IMPACT.
IMPACT.
IMPACT. >> THIS SPRING AIDEN WAS
SEARCHING WHERE TO APPLY FOR
LAW SCHOOL.
LAW SCHOOL. THIS SUMMER HE'S WORKING TO
LEARN HOW TO WALK AND TALK
AGAIN.
AGAIN.
AGAIN. WE
AGAIN. WE RECENTLY CHECKED UP ON HIS
PROGRESS, AND SOME OF THE
PICTURES MIGHT BE DISTURBING,
BUT HIS FAMILY WANTS EVERYONE
TO SEE THEM TO HELP CHANGE THE
SKATEBOARDING CULTURE.
>>
>> I'M
>> I'M AIDAN. I'VE BEEN SKATING FOR TWO AND A
HALF DAYS.
HALF DAYS. >> REPORTER: HE'S ALWAYS BEEN
GOOFY AND TALENTED.
>> HAVING A GOOD TIME, YOU
KNOW, JUST SHREDDING AT THE
PARK, YOU KNOW.
>> HE WAS A TEENAGER WHO WAS A
GOOD SKATER WHO KNEW WHAT HE
WAS DOING AND KNEW HOW TO FALL.
>> REPORTER: WHEN HE FELL IN
APRIL, HE WASN'T WEARING A
HELMET, AND AIDAN HASN'T BEEN
THE SAME SINCE.
>> WE DIDN'T KNOW IF HE WOULD
MAKE IT.
MAKE IT.
MAKE IT. >> REPORTER: HE FRACTURED HIS
SKULL AND SUFFERED A TRAUMATIC
BRAIN INJURY.
BRAIN INJURY. >> CAN YOU HEAR ME?
THUMBS UP, BUD.
>> REPORTER: WE FIRST MET HIM
IN HARBOR VIEW IN MAY.
IT'S UNCLEAR HOW MUCH OF AIDAN
WOULD EVER COME BACK.
>> THE SEVERITY OF A BRAIN
INJURY IS SO HARD.
>> REPORTER: BUT THE NEXT WEEK
HE STOOD UP, AND WE WATCHED AS
HIS MOM TRIED TO GET HIM TO
WORK A FIDGET SPINNER.
>> THAT'S GREAT.
THERE YOU GO, CAN YOU SPIN IT?
OH MY GOSH!
THAT'S IT!
THAT'S IT! HE DID IT!
>> REPORTER: IN LATE MAY AIDAN
WAS FLOWN TO A SPECIALIZED
HOSPITAL IN DENVER.
THE FAMILY HAD HOPE, BUT NOT
MUCH MORE.
MUCH MORE. THEY WERE WARNED NOT TO EXPECT
MUCH RECOVERY IF ANY AT ALL.
BUT JUST A NEW DAYS INTO
SPECIALIZED THERAPY, AIDAN WAS
QUICKLY WALKING, ALMOST ON HIS
OWN.
OWN.
OWN. >>
OWN. >> PRETTY MUCH HE'S NOT EVEN
HANGING ON MUCH AT ALL NOW.
>> REPORTER: HIS SENSE OF HUMOR
RETURNED TOO.
RETURNED TOO. THEN WHEN HIS BROTHERS ARRIVED
IT WAS EASY TO SEE THE PERSONAL
CONNECTIONS COMING BACK,
GLIMPSES OF OLD AIDAN.
BUT HIS BIGGEST STRUGGLE AT
CRAIG HOSPITAL.
CRAIG HOSPITAL. >> WHAT'S THE DATE TODAY?
>> REPORTER: SPEAKING AND
ANSWERING QUESTIONS.
ANSWERING QUESTIONS. >> HIS INTELLIGENCE IS STILL
THERE, BUT HE CAN'T FIND THE
WORDS.
WORDS.
WORDS. IT'S LIKE HE HAS A SUITCASE
MEMORY BANK THAT HE CAN'T
UNLOCK, AND HIS REACTION IS TO
LAUGH.
LAUGH.
LAUGH. >>
LAUGH. >> REPORTER: SO HIS THERAPISTS
TRIED A DIFFERENT APPROACH.
>> WHAT DO YOU FEEL LIKE
SINGING TODAY?
SINGING TODAY? >> SWEET CAROLINE.
♪ SWEET CAROLINE, GOOD TIMES
NEVER SEEM SO GOOD, SO GOOD, SO
GOOD.
GOOD.
GOOD. ♪
♪
♪ >>
♪ >> REPORTER: HIS BROTHERS, THEY
DIDN'T EXPECT THIS.
>> HE COULD BARELY TALK WHEN HE
FIRST GOT HERE, AND NOW HE'S
ALREADY SINGING SONGS WHICH IS
SO COOL.
SO COOL.
SO COOL. >> MUSIC JUST HELPS KIND OF
ACCESS ANOTHER PART OF THE
BRAIN, UM, THAT INCORPORATES
LANGUAGE, SO THE WORDS CAN JUST
FLOW A LITTLE EASIER.
>> REPORTER: THE FAMILY IS
BLOWN AWAY, BUT THEY'VE BEEN
WARNED AT SOME POINT AIDAN MAY
STOP GETTING BETTER.
>> IT HASN'T REALLY HIT ME YET
THAT I MIGHT HAVE TO TAKE CARE
OF HIM FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE
IF HE PLATEAUS AND DOESN'T GET
BETTER.
BETTER.
BETTER. AND THAT COULD EFFECT GOALS AND
DREAMS THAT I HAVE, BUT I'M
WILLING TO SACRIFICE THAT OF
COURSE.
COURSE.
COURSE. >> IT'S JUST A HUGE, HUGE
IMPACT, UM, THAT WAS SO
PREVENTABLE.
PREVENTABLE. >> REPORTER: THE FAMILY WANTS
AIDAN'S STORY TO SERVE AS A
LESSON TO WEAR A HELMET.
>> THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED HAPPEN
TO YOUR FAMILY.
THIS IS WHAT YOU WILL DO TO SO
MANY PEOPLE THAT YOU LOVE AND
LOVE YOU.
LOVE YOU.
LOVE YOU. ♪ I FELL INTO A BURNING RING
OF
OF
OF FIRE.
FIRE.
FIRE. ♪
♪
♪ >>
♪ >> REPORTER: AIDAN'S FAMILY
HOPES GET WELL ENOUGH TO
SOME DAY TELL HIS OWN STORY.
>> AIDAN COULD BE A
SPOKESPERSON FOR HELMET CHANGE,
THAT WOULD BE AWESOME.
♪ RING OF FIRE.
♪
>>
>> NICE
>> NICE JOB! >> OH, YEAH, DOUBLE HIGH FIVE!
>> SINCE WE SAW HIM EARLIER
THIS MONTH HE KEEPS GETTING
BETTER.
BETTER.
BETTER. HE'S NOW ABLE TO SWALLOW ON HIS
OWN SO HE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE
FED WITH LIQUIDS, BUT HIS
FAMILY KNOWS HE STILL HAS A
LONG WAY TO GO.
THE WRECK HAPPENED IN APRIL,
BUT THANKS TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND
OUR KING 5 COVERAGE, AIDAN'S
STORY IS SPREADING IN THE
SKATING COMMUNITY.
SKATING COMMUNITY. OVER THE NEXT TWO NIGHTS WE'LL
SHOW YOU HOW IT'S IMPACTED
YOUNG SKATERS IN SEATTLE AND
INTERNATIONAL SKATERS HEARING
ABOUT THIS, AND WE'VE LEARNED A
LOT ABOUT THE SKATEBOARDING
CULTURE.
CULTURE.
CULTURE. >> DREW, YOU LOOK AT THIS ONE
CASE AND SEE THE PAIN AND
DEVASTATION, BUT ALSO THE
MASSIVE COST WITH TREATING ONE
PATIENT.
PATIENT.
PATIENT. >> THERE'S NOT MUCH ON THE
STATE'S BOOKS REGARDING
SKATEBOARDING HELMETS.
SKATEBOARDING HELMETS. BIKE HELMETS, CITIES CAN HAVE
INDIVIDUAL BIKE HELMET
RESTRICTIONS FOR JURISDICTIONS,
BUT NOTHING FOR SKATEBOARDING.
THE FAMILY, THAT WAS THEIR
FIRST THING.
FIRST THING. WE NEED TO CHANGE THE LAWS.
BUT TALKING TO LAWMAKERS,
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF MOTIVATION
FOR THAT AT LEAST AT THIS
POINT.
POINT.
POINT. AND SOME SKATERS TOLD US IF YOU
MAKE IT ILLEGAL THAT'S JUST
ANOTHER REASON FOR ME NOT TO
WEAR IT BECAUSE HELMETS AREN'T
COOL.
COOL.
COOL. >>
COOL. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> AND SNOW BOARDING IS NOT
LIKE THAT, SKIING IS NOT LIKE
THAT, BUT