Teen Lucky to Have His Fingers After Frostbite from Bike Ride in Single-Digit Temps

Photo Credit: ABC-7

A south suburban teen is relieved to have all his fingers Tuesday.

Aaron Colvin, 17, rode his bike without gloves Sunday from Chicago Ridge to Alsip, and woke up Monday to a burning sensation in his hands, a case of frostbite so severe that doctors won’t know for months if they’ll have to amputate.

Doctors at Loyola University Medical Center have his hands heavily bandaged, and though the pain is still intense, Colvin told ABC-7 it’s nothing compared to what he felt Monday—”burning, my hands. It was terrible.”

In total, the Richards High School grad spent about an hour pedaling each way in 8-degree weather.

“I’m just glad I’m still alive and still got my fingers,” he told reporters.

His hands are swollen and covered in large blisters. He’s being treated in the hospital’s burn unit. The “top layers of skin are falling off like a second-degree burn,” Dr. Arthur Sanford told ABC-7. “The worse ones that go all the way through are like a third-degree burn.”

Doctors are working to restore the bloodflow to his fingers, and are hopeful his hands will be OK. But they won’t know for months if they’ll need to amputate. His mother, Erika Spencer, hopes her son’s story serves as an example that people should dress appropriately for the weather.

“I think everybody learned their lesson now, it’s a little more serious than they take it,” she said.

Frostbite Facts

—from the Mayo Clinic

Signs and Symptoms of Frostbite

• At first, cold skin and a prickling feeling
• Numbness
• Red, white, bluish-white or grayish-yellow skin
• Hard or waxy-looking skin
• Clumsiness due to joint and muscle stiffness
• Blistering after rewarming, in severe cases

Stages of Frostbite

• Frostnip: Skin pales or turns red and feels very cold.
• Superficial frostbite: Reddened skin, then turns white or pale. Some ice crystals may form in the tissue.
• Severe (deep) frostbite: Numbness, losing all sensation of cold, pain or discomfort in the affected area. Blisters may be visible.