Brandon Hannahs

Reporter

CROOKSVILLE - Tyler Zinn was headed to Virginia Beach on July 2 to see friends before tragedy struck.

Tyler, 20 years old, was driving on Interstate 64, near Richmond, Virginia, when he lost control of his vehicle and struck a tree. The crash led to an entrapment and emergency crews used the Jaws of Life to extract him from the vehicle, which took more than an hour.

Tyler was unconscious during that time and suffered a subdural hematoma, a traumatic brain injury where a pool of blood exists between the brain and its outermost covering, according to the Mayo Clinic.

He was transported to Virginia Commonwealth University Hospital in Richmond where hospital personnel discovered all of the nerves from Tyler's brain and skull had been sheared and there was a substantial amount of hemorrhaging throughout the brain.

His family needs financial assistance to transport him to Ohio. Medicaid won't cover the expense because Tyler is not a resident of Virginia and is not eligible for that state's benefits, according to the GoFundMe page started by his sister, Shannon, at https://www.gofundme.com/2dm6yjnw.

His father, Darren said Medway Air Ambulance of Lawrenceville, Georgia has agreed to fly Tyler home for more than $8,000. He needs to fly due to the medical staff and amount of equipment needed to monitor his condition during the transport, and Ohio State Wexner Medical Center has agreed to admit Tyler when he arrives.

The GoFundMe page also stated once Tyler arrives back in Ohio, he will be eligible for his Medicaid benefits as an Ohio resident to help with further treatment and follow-up care.

The family had raised $3,215 as of 3 p.m. Saturday. The goal is $8,700.

"OSU agreed to take Tyler even before they knew if he had insurance, and the people at VCU have been very helpful," Darren said. "We are doing the best we can, and we have faith in humanity. (Situations like these) brings out the best in people, and we appreciate everything people have and are doing for us."

Alan Wolfe, Tyler's passenger, was not injured in the crash and called 911 to report the crash, Darren said.

Shannon arrived to VCU late Sunday night/early Monday morning and Darren and his wife, Angie, have been with Tyler since Tuesday.

Darren said his son has been heavily sedated since the crash, but was removed from the ICP monitor, which measures the inner cranium pressure, on Thursday. His pressure was in the 70s earlier this week, while the average person is in the 20s and below.

There been some progress, but Darren said his son's survival remains 50/50, according to his doctors.

"He's doing better, and they have cut back on some of the medications," Darren said. "They didn't have to do any drilling and medicine helped control the swelling. When we arrived on Tuesday, the doctors told us he's in a fragile state."

bhannahs@zanesvilletimesrecorder.com

740-450-6763

Twitter: @brandonhannahs