Ron and Jo Dawn Ashlock are active in their retirement. The couple plays in a band together. Jo Dawn sings and Ron plays the drums. Ron is an avid golfer. The Ashlocks also enjoyed motorcycling, taking day trips, and heading out from their home in Blue Springs to their lake cabin at Lake Pomme de Terre.

But in May of 2008, a motorcycle trip to their cabin ended in catastrophe.

While passing through Clinton, the Ashlocks were struck by a driver making an illegal maneuver. Thankfully, the Ashlocks, riding double on one motorcycle, were not moving at a high speed as they passed through the intersection of Highways 7 and 13. They were however, badly injured.

A concrete island in the intersection was unforgiving as Ron and Jo Dawn were thrown to the ground, hitting the island’s curbside. Ron was also pinned down by the motorcycle.

The weather was cool that morning so the Ashlocks were wearing extra gear along with leather outer-wear and helmets. This certainly helped to minimize certain types of injuries, but as Jo Dawn called for Ron she realized he needed help. Beside severe pain in different areas of his body, Ron was having difficulty breathing.

Luckily, Golden Valley Memorial Hospital is located at the intersection of Highways 7 and 13. The GVMH ambulance crew arrived almost immediately and transported the Ashlocks to the emergency department. There it was discovered that Ron had a collapsed lung.

The extent of Ron’s injuries included a broken collar bone, a shattered scapula, seven broken ribs on his right side, four broken ribs on his left side, and a fractured knee. A broken rib had punctured his right lung causing it to collapse. Jo Dawn suffered broken bones in her foot and ankle, four broken ribs, broken bones in her hand and a head injury.

It was clear that both Ron and Jo Dawn had to be LifeFlighted to Kansas City. Our Clinton ship was on hand at the LifeFlight Eagle base on the GVMH hospital campus. Our Harrisonville ship was then called in, as well, to help with transport of both patients.

LifeFlight Eagle flight nurse, Joey Araiza, recalls the Ashlocks’ ordeal.

“I knew with one look at Mr. Ashlock, that he had a life-threatening injury and had to be moved to the Trauma Center at Kansas City,” Joey says. “And despite his pain, he was extremely cooperative and the whole time concerned more for his wife than himself. I know the same was true for Mrs. Ashlock.”

While still in the emergency department, Ron was intubated in order to receive oxygen. He also had to have a chest tube inserted through an incision in his side, to his plural cavity which is on the outside of his lung, in order to suction air as it leaked through the puncture he sustained. This kept Ron oxygenated and stable.

Difficulty breathing is a very unsettling experience, so Ron was sedated for his transport to Research Hospital.

“Once we had his breathing under control and he was sedated, he had a great flight to Research,” says Joey.

Jo Dawn was also flown to Research by our Harrisonville crew. She was released ten days later,.Ron 26 days later. Their recovery time was long and arduous, finally coming to an end on December 31, 2008.

The second half of the year included a bout with pneumonia for Ron, follow up surgeries for both Ron and Jo Dawn, significant ulcerations in the digestive tract due to powerful medications and an infection. These setbacks are not uncommon for the types of injuries Ron and Jo Dawn sustained.

Ron and Jo Dawn are fully recovered now and very thankful for their chance to return to normal life.

“We are very fortunate and blessed,” says Ron. “I’ve ridden motorcycles quite a bit at different times of my life, but I now see that no matter how safe a rider maybe it’s the surrounding world that can get you and that makes it very dangerous. When a rider tangles with a car, it doesn’t matter who’s right or wrong. The rider is going to lose.”

Now Ron and Jo Dawn are back to their favorite activities with greater appreciation than before. Ron thought at one point that he would never play the drums or golf again. Now the band is back on the road and golf season starts in just weeks!

Congratulations Ron and Jo Dawn on your full recovery!