Preston Boy, 3, Partially Paralyzed After ATV Crash

PRESTON, CT — The Preston community and beyond is rallying around a 3-year-old boy who was seriously injured in an ATV crash last week.

Tate Campbell was riding in an ATV, which is something the family said they loved doing together, when they were involved in a “freak rollover accident” on March 15, according to the Tough Like Tate Facebook page.

Tate suffered a spinal cord injury that caused “complete paralysis of his legs,” A post reads on the GoFundMe page that was launched to help support the family with medical expenses.

“Thankfully, he does have some movement of his arms and hands, but the extent of his injuries is still unknown as Tate, a 3.5 year old boy, doesn't have the understanding of what is happening,” the post on the ‘Tough like Tate’ GoFundMe page reads. “Tate was wearing a helmet; it saved his life.”

Tate underwent surgery to fix some small fractures in his back shortly after they arrived Connecticut Children's Medical Center last Tuesday.

“Unfortunately, this surgery would not support any changes to his spinal cord,” family members wrote in a post on Facebook. “Tate was doing well post surgery and his breathing tube was removed.

“On Thursday we started introducing some real food. He got to have a popsicle, applesauce and some water. This lifted his spirits a bit. Shortly after, Tate started to have trouble breathing and his lungs started to sound gooky (excuse my lack of a better medical term). This could be due to a number of things, but they felt the best course of action was to put in a breathing tube before things got worse. Over the next few days Tate did well on the breathing tube. Now, the level of support he's receiving from the breathing tube is so low that he's doing most of the work on his own. We'll continue different trials to ensure that Tate is successful on his own when the ventilator comes out.”

In an update Tuesday afternoon, the family said it’s “going to be a long road and we are grateful to have a supportive team on board with us.”

“Yesterday, Tate had his repeat scans,” the family wrote. “There wasn't much change neurologically. There's still injuries to ligaments at several levels. The neurologist describes these as ‘the seatbelts of the spine.’ There's is still blood behind spinal cord. But at this point, nothing on the scans requires further surgical intervention.

“So the big thing on everyone's mind.... based on the exam that the neurologist has given Tate he has a complete spinal cord injury. Meaning he will require a lot of assistance to come. Again, thank each one of for your support for Tate.

“Right now, getting breathing and feeding regulated are the main issues. Positive thoughts and prayers for these areas.”

The GoFundMe page states that a spinal cord injury like Tate’s can “cost a family over $500,000 for the first year and over $75,000 every year following.”

“Worrying about how much Tate's care will cost is something his parents, Kyle and Meghan, should not have to think about,” the post reads.

Donations to the GoFundMe campaign will “ensure that both Kyle and Meghan can be with Tate as well as support his two brothers, Reece and Bo," the post reads. "It will help with Tate's medical bills, caregiving, travel and lodging, living expenses, medical equipment, and adaptions needed to bring Tate home. Most importantly, it will help Kyle and Meghan bring Tate to the best rehab facility in the country.”

More than $40,000 has been raised within the first 11 hours of the GoFundMe campaign.

For more information, or to make a donation, visit the GoFundMe page here.

Visit the Tough Like Tate Facebook page here.

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