Fundraiser launched for Boonton 'Miracle Marine'

MORRISTOWN – A 26-year-old Marine veteran from Boonton has been in intensive care for more than six weeks after a grisly motorcycle accident in Denville left him with life-threatening injuries, including an "internal decapitation."

Kyle Chappell has a long road ahead on his recovery, and his friends and family have started a crowdfunding campaign to help with the cost.

Chappell was driving his motorcycle to work on Diamond Spring Road, four miles from his Boonton home, on the morning of April 2 when he was hit by a car.

Chappell later would find out he suffered an "internal decapitation," meaning his skull separated from his spinal column, a typically fatal occurrence. There are only about two dozen documented cases of people surviving the injury.

"It's such a miracle. All the credit and gratitude to the first responders for safely moving him," Kyle's mother, Jennifer Bucher, said. "They didn't know about the injury and moving him safely was pivotal to his survival."

Bucher said her son also dissected his aorta artery in two places.

"That aorta was a ticking time bomb. Dissecting it once would typically cause someone to bleed out in 10 minutes," she said. "But somehow it clotted on the way to the hospital."

Chappell's extensive list of injuries also included two collapsed lungs, a lacerated liver, kidney, spleen, a fractured femur, a broken tibia and fibula on his left leg and a broken ankle on his right leg.

While typically a blood perfusion is performed in neck and spinal injuries like Chappell's, blood pressure had to be kept low due to avoid a rupture in the aorta.

"It was a catch-22," Bucher said. "Such a roller coaster."

The heart, lungs and neck took precedent for doctors, and surgeons needed to perform heart surgery as quickly as possible. But Chappell's organs were failing and his blood pressure was dropping.

"At one point I was told to say goodbye to my son, but he kept fighting" Bucher said. "At that time they did the surgery to fix the aorta because his chances were so low, and it was a success. It was a miracle. Kyle was young, healthy, strong and determined. And the doctors and nurses fought as hard as he did and never gave up."

Chappell had his left leg amputated below the knee about a week later, and was placed on a lung oscillator and dialysis for his kidneys. Through it all he was in an induced coma and paralysis until the last week of April, to avoid movement that could cause further damage.

His mother didn't leave the hospital for the first four weeks.

"I couldn't leave because his status changed by the minute," Bucher said. "He never became stable."

Chappell had his most recent surgery Thursday to fix an infection he got from the leg amputation, which was a success. His kidneys are now functioning and he's showing movement in his extremities.

"He's gaining strength in his arms, can adjust himself in bed and can start to hold a ball in his hand," Bucher said. "He fought through it all. "

Chappell has been off a ventilator for about two weeks, is now using a tracheotomy, and he can speak.

"His first words were 'hi' and 'I love you,'" Bucher said. "And 'orange juice … I'm thirsty.'"

Despite the turmoil, Chappell hasn't lost his spirit. His mother recalled a friend's father visiting, and while he could barely move, he reached out to shake his hand.

"He's such a gentleman. A fun-loving, amazing man," Bucher said. "And he's been so reliable to his siblings through the years. Now I've gotten to see them come together for Kyle."

Bucher credits a new AFX full facemask helmet with preventing her son from suffering a brain injury in the crash. He is on pace to begin physical therapy in a few weeks.

Chappell served two tours with the 2nd Light Armored Recon Battalion, one in Iraq and another in Afghanistan, from 2007 to 2011.

"He served on the front lines pretty tremendously," Bucher said. "There were a lot of close calls. It's amazing he made it back home."

Chappell did electrical engineering in the service and now works as an electrician. He is the oldest of four siblings.

"This has been so surreal, the scariest thing I've ever had to face. I could not believe in certain moments we were dealing with it," Bucher said. "But I'm so grateful for the support. I know he'll gain his independence one day, but he will need 24/7 care for a long time."

With at least a year of therapy ahead, friend Adam Gray decided to help launch a Go Fund Me campaign to help pay for the costs.

"I totally subscribe to the idea that people helping people make the world go round, so I started the cause to see what we could accomplish," Gray said. "The power of people when we come together is like no other. If we could get a million people to each donate one dollar, at least he could come out of this with one less stresser to deal with."

By Friday afternoon, the campaign had raised more than $11,000, far exceeding Gray's expectations.

"I held the idea that anything is better than nothing. The reason we have gotten the numbers we have is because of each individual that took the time to acknowledge who he is and the struggle he's facing," Gray said. "Kyle has touched not only my life but so many others. To see people who know him and even don't know him come together in solidarity for the health and wellness of a fellow human being is a beautiful sight. My only hopes are for it to sustain long enough to achieve our current goal."

The campaign lists a goal of $500,000.

"At first I had a hard time with asking for help, but the response has been incredible," Bucher said. "Not only the money, but things people have written about him are amazing. How impactful he is, how much life he brings, what and incredible friend he is. After all he's made it through, I trust it will all work out and be OK."

A representative of Morristown Medical Center said the hospital does not disclose injury details of patients, but Chappell is now in fair condition.

Go to http://www.gofundme.com/kylesfighttowalk to help fund Chappell's recovery.

Staff Writer Michael Izzo: 973-428-6636; mizzo@GannettNJ.com.