By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Melissa Evans said that it's taking her husband Clayton and her some time to realize how much time his recovery from the July 7 accident that has left him with a spinal cord injury will take.
"Clayton and I are learning," Evans said. "We are both very proactive people and a lot of the process early on is hurry up and wait. That's been a little difficult for us, but what has been so neat is that in that time, while there's a lot of waiting for his swelling to go down and to learn more about what it will look like for him in the future, we've spent most of that time wishing we were back in Hutchinson to see all of the incredible things that everyone has been doing and putting together for us and wishing we could just squeeze everyone."
Clayton Evans is at Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado.
"Conversations that we've had with doctors and specialists is that, for the next 12 to 18 months, there's possibility for progression in terms of what he can regain back," Melissa Evans said. "We know with his injury being a complete injury, the numbers are really, really small on that. The focus, what Craig Hospital has reiterated over and over again, is that we are planning for the now, as he works with his physical therapist and his occupational therapist. They are working to make sure that when he comes back, he's able to get back to teaching and coaching and being a husband and a dad with what he has now."
The doctors say Coach Evans being in great physical shape at the time of the accident should help in his functional recovery and they expect him to teach and coach again.
"They are really confident that with how much upper body strength he already had prior to the injury, that's going to make learning to do things a little bit differently much easier for him," Evans said.
The fundraiser for Evans is Saturday from 7 to 9 p.m. at Don Michael Field in Hutchinson. Traveling Bowl, Salt City Chiller and the R-B-Too food truck will be available along with lots of outdoor activities for students and families.
Listen below for audio from Melissa Evans and two of Clayton Evans students who are helping with the fundraiser...