'It's just one of those bad things you hear about,' says fiancée of injured worker

Friends are trying to raise money for a family from Vancouver Island, after a 'freak accident' left the father and sole provider paralyzed from the neck down. 

"It's just one of those bad things you hear about," said Bryan Oakley's fiancée, Caitlin Ross and mother of their two-year-old son, Ryder.

The 37-year-old was working on a job site last week when something went terribly wrong. 

"They were unloading windows and apparently each window is about 250 lbs and the footing shifted, the truck shifted and about three to four windows just fell on him and he was just kind of pinned," said Ross.

WorkSafe BC is investigating but Ross said it was just an accident.  

Oakley was rushed to Victoria General Hospital and then quickly flown by air ambulance to Vancouver General Hospital where he underwent a five hour long emergency spine surgery. 

It's almost a guarantee he will never walk again.- Caitlin Ross

Oakley suffered C3 - C4 spinal fractures and is unable to speak — he uses facial expressions and his eyes to communicate. 

He was scheduled to undergo surgery on his tracheostomy Sunday afternoon. 

"We can be as hopeful as we can be, we're praying and hoping for a miracle to happen," said Ross. 

"But at this point because his injury is so significant and so high up — C3 - C4 is significant in regards to breathing, hand movement, leg movement — it's almost a guarantee he will never walk again," she said.

The couple's plans to get married in November have been put on hold to concentrate on Oakley's recovery.

Workers Compensation Board is providing the family with a hotel and covering other costs but friends have also started soliciting donations to help support the family, in particular to support their son's future.

Anyone interested in donating can visit any CIBC branch after Tuesday and ask to donate to Ryder Oakley's account or e-mail for more information. There is also a GoFundMe campaign.