Diving accident paralyzes Cd'A man
Courtesy photo Jesse Raymond, 43, of Coeur d’Alene, is paralyzed from the hands down after diving into an unseen underwater rock June 29 in the Snake River. His friends and family are working to raise funds for expenses not covered by his insurance as they remodel his house to accommodate his wheelchair.
Courtesy photo Jesse Raymond's great Dane, Leila, shows her human some love during a recent visit to the rehab center where he's staying. Jesse, 43, is paralyzed from the hands down after crushing his spine during a river dive June 29. Pictured also are his daughter, Jasmine, left, fiancée Morgan Harryman and his other dog, Roxy.
Jesse Raymond, center, hugs his daughter Jasmine, left, soon-to-be-stepdaughter Mya and fiancée Morgan Harryman during a 2016 trip to Seattle. Jesse, 43, is now paralyzed from the hands down after a diving accident. His friends and family are raising funds to make his house wheelchair accessible and pay for expenses not covered by insurance.
By DEVIN HEILMAN
Staff Writer
Everything was fine in Jesse Raymond's world just a little more than a month ago.
His business, Ace Moving, was really getting off the ground. He just bought a house. Life was going along smoothly.
Then one innocent dive into the Snake River changed everything for the 43-year-old Coeur d'Alene dad.
"He dove into the water and he was face down," Jesse's sister, Jeanine Raymond, said Tuesday. "They thought he was kidding."
Jesse dove from a sandy beach into the river, where he collided with an unseen rock that crushed his spine, gashed his scalp and rendered him unconscious. When his friend realized he wasn't kidding, he jumped in after Jesse, swam him to shore and administered CPR.
After emergency surgeries and several hours under the knife, Jesse's C1 to C6 vertebrae are now fused. He is in a wheelchair and has lost mobility from the hands down.
"It's horrific," Jeanine said. "People only think that this happens from cliff diving, but this was a sandy beach, flat like at Priest Lake... He was just telling his friend's 14-year-old to never take life for granted, to enjoy life. Life changes in an instant."
Jesse is undergoing physical therapy in Spokane. No timeline or prognosis have been given, as doctors are waiting for the swelling around the spinal cord to reduce.
"I'm doing the things they ask of me, even though it's pretty painful and difficult and frustrating," Jesse said. "I'm just trying to keep positive as much as I can."
His fiancée, Morgan Harryman, said Jesse has an amazing drive and appreciation for life.
"I'm so blown away by the progress he has made the last few weeks," she said. "He's a strong and determined man."
Jesse's family has stepped up to keep his business running. They are also working to raise funds to modify his home to accommodate his wheelchair and adapt to the mobility challenges ahead. This includes ramps, doorway widening, a hospital bed, a
wheelchair lift, a bathroom expansion, a powered wheelchair, a wheelchair-friendly van and other expenses not covered by insurance.
Jeanine said their family is open to sharing this story because "we don't want this to happen to anybody."
"My brother is the strongest man I know, truly," she said. "He will put his all into rehab and healing. He is truly inspirational to me."
Jesse's friends and family have rallied to fix up his house and prepare it for when he comes home. He said he's incredibly thankful to everyone, including friend Eric Garcia who pulled him out of the water, as well as to the boat captain whose emergency phone was used to contact Life Flight to get him to the hospital.
"Don't take life for granted. It's common sense," Jesse said. "Try to think about things a little more before you do them. People out there want to help you. Sometimes you're independent and you don't want the help, but you have to stay positive through something like this for your family and friends."
Donations to the "Jesse Raymond Drive" are being accepted at Wells Fargo and Inland Northwest Bank locations. To learn more, visit Jeanine's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/jeanine.raymond.3.