On June 19th, Donald Adams, his wife Barbara, their 8-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter were hit head-on in La Pine by a man witnesses said was speeding and making illegal passes. (Click HERE for KTVZ article regarding the accident.) The daughter died immediately and Donald and Barbara, seriously injured, were flown by air ambulance to St. Charles in Bend and hospitalized in critical condition, their legs crushed and Donald remaining in a coma with his legs in danger of amputation. The son, treated for minor injuries, was subsequently sent to live with his grandparents near the Adams’ home in Idaho. Now, nearly two months later, Donald and Barbara at last scheduled to leave the hospital on this coming Monday, September 12. The grandfather determined that the best way to get them home, as they remain unable to walk or even sit in a car, was to come from Idaho and get them in an large RV.
That fragile plan exploded recently when the grandfather died suddenly and unexpectedly, leaving the Adams with no way to to get home to their son in Idaho to bury the grandfather and spread the ashes of their daughter. Cousins of the Adams, Charm and Lee Bogle, contacted their friends Lee and Verna Moore. Lee, in turn, contacted Kay Craven, his sister and co-owner of Big Country RV. Additionally Lee let the Bend Pickleball Club know about the situation.
As a result of these actions Big Country RV has donated the use of a Class C Motor Home to transport the injured couple. Lee and Verna Moore have volunteered to drive them home to Idaho and return the RV to Big Country. A. J. Fraties, President of the Bend Pickleball Club, has announced that the club will attempt to raise $10,000 to help the Adams. BPC will start the campaign with a $1,500 donation, followed by a Calcutta-style fun tournament, to be held this weekend at Pine Nursery Park, with all the net proceeds of that tournament to go towards the goal. If all goes well, the Adams will leave Bend this coming Monday, September 12 and will arrive home in Idaho Tuesday, September 13.
To donate to the family, please click HERE and scroll to the bottom of the page.
