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Collin’s Road to Recovery

Collin broke his C5 and C6 vertebrae and suffered a severe spinal cord injury while at the beach with his friends. He has very limited mobility in his arms and hands, and currently no feeling below the chest. Collin is currently working hard with the amazing staff at Craig Hospital to increase his mobility and independence. We’re asking our family, friends, and community to join us in fundraising with the nonprofit Help Hope Live to help with the rising expenses Collin will face during rehabilitation.

Updates (20)

April 8, 2025

4/8/25

Dear Friends,

Well, here we are… Today marks exactly two years since Collin’s tragic accident. And, while we could spend the day pining away for all the things he’s lost, that is the last thing Collin wants. He has shown so much GRIT and HARD WORK over the last two years. And what we need to celebrate today is that HE IS ALIVE.

Today, he wants to keep low-key as if it isn’t the black mark on our calendar like it once felt. Today is just a Tuesday. He is going to greet his caregiver, take his meds, get dressed and get out of bed, go to Physical Therapy, then work on some final projects and homework for his MBA classes, and have dinner with the family.

So, we wish all of you a BEAUTIFUL DAY. We hope you get out and enjoy the AMAZING weather we are having in Santa Barbara and San Diego. Hug or call a loved one and thoroughly enjoy this journey of life. We are able to get to this enlightened perspective from all the love we have felt and continue to feel from all of YOU. Thank you for your moral and financial support that brings a sense of calm to our lives that keeps the fear of “what if…” at bay. Thank you for everything.

One perfect example of this kindness is an upcoming fundraiser our friend Will Ransone is putting together at his restaurant Padaro Beach Grill. It will be on April 27 with music, a silent auction and delicious food. Please come join us with the Ransone family and our friends from all over Santa Barbara. Collin is really looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible to thank you in person.

Much love,

The Bosse Family

xoxo

February 10, 2025

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year! Unfortunately, this year has started off in a pretty tragic way here in California. Our thoughts and prayers go out to friends who have lost their homes in the LA fires or experienced any loss of any kind. We hope this update finds all of you in good health.

Last week, I was asked to share a “Celebration” as an ice-breaker in a work meeting. My initial response was, “My celebrations would just be depressing for everyone else in this room.” But, I was immediately regretful of that thought because it discounts all the amazing progress and HARD work that Collin puts in EVERY day. And, it discounts all the loving support we get from friends like you. It’s true that everyday is a challenge and a struggle for us like Collin being in constant nerve pain throughout his body like he’s laying on a bed of nails or Collin getting dropped from his team of doctors because the insurance company won’t negotiate with the hospital group. But, we are really trying to focus less on the things that go wrong and more on the incredible things that DO go our way!

Around Thanksgiving, our friend Dennis Nelson and his construction crew finished a bathroom remodel in our house. It allows Collin to roll straight up to the sink to rinse his face and brush his own teeth (see videos) and for us to roll Collin straight into the shower because the floor is level. I almost cried the first time we used it because it hasn’t been that easy since we were at Craig Hospital in 2023! (The rental house we are in right now has a bathtub and it is quite a bit more cumbersome to manage bathroom care.) We also bought Collin a Nectar bed that can elevate his torso using the voice commands on his phone. All this independence has allowed Collin the comfort for longer stays at home in Santa Barbara. We even got out on a 2 hour bike ride through UCSB on his new scooter adaptation to his manual wheelchair.

https://youtube.com/shorts/DyUhi06OREY?feature=share

https://youtube.com/shorts/VeQEExnNsA8?feature=share

Collin had another BIG milestone last weekend - Brian took him on a “Boys Weekend” to Mammoth for some Adaptive Skiing. (see video) As a kid, Collin spent A LOT of time in Mammoth and this was his first time back which felt so good to him. It was also the first time that Brian had travelled alone with Collin, and he managed the challenges of a hotel room for two nights amazingly. It was a huge confidence booster for Brian and an AWESOME experience for Collin to do some Adaptive Skiing on a Sit-Ski. The thing that really topped off the day was that the lead volunteer helping him with the skiing was Josh Pighetti who was Collin’s Jr. Lifeguard Counselor back from when he was a kid at East Beach in Santa Barbara. Brian and Josh’s dad were also really good friends, so the whole experience was filled with love and complete STOKE.

https://youtu.be/q-LSGFJotaA

We feel so blessed to be surrounded by support from all of you in spirit as well as financially. Nothing is taken for granted and we want to thank all of you for bringing bits of Collin’s “old life” back to our current life. He is working so hard in Physical Therapy three times a week on top of continuing his second semester of his Master’s degree. Thank you all so much.

Much love,

The Bosse Family

xoxo

Photo Galleries (12)

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Guestbook

October 31, 2024

Yogurtland Goleta loves Collin!

Anonymous

April 16, 2024

Praying for you all.

Jen Holdren

February 6, 2024

Friend of the Hoyer Nielsen's, thinking about you and admiring your determination.

Nannette Erdtmann - de Groot