Kaiden Bouchard of Timmins may be one of the toughest nine-year-olds in northern Ontario after a devastating crash while driving a Sea-Doo watercraft.
His mom, Amanda Ratte, said he’s recovering remarkably well from what she describes as a world-shattering ordeal in early July that left Kaiden fighting to regain his healthy
Kaiden Bouchard, a 9-year-old from Timmins is recovering from a Sea-Doo crash. (Supplied)
It started with the boy behind the wheel of a personal watercraft at Kamiskotia Lake, when he hit a boat that he hadn’t seen close to the shoreline.
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A neighbour called Amanda in a panic but had little information.
“Getting a phone call and not knowing the situation that your son was in and not being able to physically see him, my mind was on a total other planet,” Ratte said.
“I feared for my life, as well as his, and once I saw him, I couldn’t believe that something like this could have happened.”
Kaiden was rushed to Timmins and District Hospital with a heavily fractured right femur, skin lacerations to his leg and face, major injuries to his mouth and vocal cords and damage to his left hand.
Amanda said two medics who happened to live nearby came to Kaiden’s aid and helped control blood flow until EMS arrived, likely saving his leg.
The boy said he has no memory of what happened.
“All I remember is getting onto the Sea-Doo and then I didn’t remember until I was two weeks into the hospital,” Kaiden said.
The long road to recovery started with seven surgeries, two blood transfusions and about a month-long stay at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa.
His mom was with him the whole time. They returned home in early August and have been attending weekly appointments at physiotherapy, counselling and his doctor to get Kaiden back to full strength.
Amanda said the ordeal brought a financial hit, including dental and medical bills, travel, hotels, and both parents taking time off work to be by Kaiden’s side.
A GoFundMe campaign and community donations saw more than $25,000 support the family’s journey.
“It has not been easy,” Amanda said in tears.
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