Off-road racer Kade Walker is in hospital after suffering a traumatic brain injury (TBI) during a crash at the Baja 1000—and his team is looking foe help.
As we told you last week, Walker was riding with the SLR Honda team (the winners of the 2022 Baja 1000) when he crashed hard late in the afternoon. Unfortunately, it took quite a while for help to reach him, as he’d wrecked in a remote area of the desert. First, it took the team a few minutes to figure out he was missing. Then, when they realized he was in very bad condition, there was no helicopter evac available, even though the team said they were told two birds were on the way—see the team’s IG post below.
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The short version is that SLR Honda had to extract Walker from the desert via truck, meeting an ambulance at a highway. From there, Walker was transferred to San Felipe and airlifted to hospital in San Diego, where he’s currently recovering from his TBI. It sounds as if he is expected to take 30-60 days to recover from his injury. The last we’d heard, he has still not woken up since the crash, although his condition is improving.
Because Walker is a Canadian racing for an American team in Mexico, it’s a complicated situation with health insurance. It’s going to be tough to figure out, it sounds like, but the Road 2 Recovery Foundation has now opened a donation support page to help bring in funds for his recovery. Here’s an update from their website:
Professional Off-road Racer and the 2023 NGPC Pro2 Champion Kade Tinkler Walker sustained critical injuries while competing in the 56th SCORE Baja 1000 in Baja, California, on Thursday, November 16, 2023. Kade, riding for team SLR Honda, was airlifted to Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, where he is currently undergoing treatment for a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and remains unconscious.
Medical professionals at Scripps Mercy have confirmed that apart from the TBI, Kade has no other emergent physical injuries. To support his recovery and minimize any potential strain during unconsciousness, he is under medical sedation to facilitate healing. The medical team is encouraged by Kade’s progress in body functions and response to external stimulation. In response to this positive progression, this afternoon, doctors plan to closely monitor his ability to breathe independently without the support of a ventilator.
The duration of Kade’s unconscious state is uncertain, with estimates provided by his medical staff ranging from 30 to 60 days, depending heavily on individual factors and injury severity. Upon regaining consciousness, Kade is expected to face a lengthy recovery period. We request that everyone respect the privacy of Kade and his family during this sensitive time.
To help keep everyone accurately informed of Kade Tinkler Walker’s recovery, all official updates will be released via the SLR Honda website and social media pages. Updates will also be provided on Kade’s R2R Cause Page. Kade’s family and the SLR Honda Team extend their heartfelt thanks for your continued support and outreach.
Road 2 Recovery Foundation encourages those who can to contribute to his cause on his R2R page. Your donations will significantly aid in managing medical expenses and provide relief to his family.
They’re hoping to raise $250,000 for his care. At this point they are a long way from that goal. If you visit the Road 2 Recovery site here, you can give not just money, but also messages of encouragement. It is certainly tight financial times for many of us, but even if all we can each give is a little, that will add up if enough of us help out.
