A 5-kilometer run can be a challenge, but it's not the kind of long journey Andy Rosales has already traveled.
Rosales, a Bureau of Indian Affairs firefighter, was seriously injured on the job this summer when his fire truck rolled en route to a wildfire near Sells. His injuries turned out to be more debilitating than expected -- his neck was broken in two places and did not heal properly despite the surgical halo screwed into his skull -- so his supporters are rallying runners and walkers to sign up for a 5K this weekend to help defray continuing expenses.
The run/walk, sponsored by Kwatsan Radio, begins at 7 a.m. Saturday at the Quechan Diabetes Walking Park at Fort Yuma. Costs $10 and participants can register that morning. Check-in is at 6:30. T-shirts and special prizes will be available.
Kenrick Escalanti, president of the nonprofit online radio station, said he knows it's still hot out, but Rosales' family is in need now. He cannot work and his wife is at home to care for him with the help of her mother. Rosales has a 5-year-old son and his wife is pregnant.
Escalanti hopes for a big turnout. The family's goal is to raise $700 toward buying a medical bed that will keep the recovering firefighter more comfortable at home.
Although he's now limited physically, Rosales is keeping positive and looks to his faith for strength. He's excited about the run and plans to head out and watch.
"There's no point in being down," he said.
Rosales was injured on June 8 when his wildland fire engine rolled over in rough terrain as he and his crew were traveling to the Montezuma Fire, located 20 miles southeast of Sells.
The crew was out of the Fort Yuma agency and the rollover claimed the life of Anthony Polk, a wildland fire engine boss and Quechan. The crash also injured fellow firefighter John Villicana.
The wreck hit close to home for Escalanti with the loss of Polk. Rosales is also his friend.
"He's kind of, like, right now, the face of that accident because he's still trying to recover," Escalanti said.
Rosales' wife, Krystle, said he's in good spirits, but he misses going to the gym.
"My husband is an active person. Before he got in the accident, he was running, like, six miles a day."
Rosales' injuries were first reported to be minor, and he was initially treated and released with a bump on the head and some scratches. Krystle Rosales said he was in more shock than pain after the traumatic events.
His boss, still concerned, suggested he seek a second opinion, so they went to University Medical Center in Tucson. Doctors found he'd been walking around all day with a broken neck and put him in the intensive care unit.
His swollen neck muscles kept things enough in place, or else he could have been paralyzed, his wife said. She's grateful, as it could have been worse.
On Aug. 6, even after two months wearing a six-pound halo, X-rays and a CT scan showed that his bones did not align correctly. That means he will need corrective surgery: a plate, screws and a cadaver bone inserted through the front of his neck.
The surgery is scheduled for Tuesday at UMC in Tucson. He'll need another six to 12 months to make a full recovery.
To get to the Diabetes Walking Park from Yuma, take the Ocean-to-Ocean Bridge into California and make an immediate left. Follow the railroad tracks to the park.
Copyright 2012 - The Sun, Yuma, Ariz.
