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Community support is swelling for 34-year-old Matthew Pierson who had to be airlifted to the UMMC Shock Trauma in Baltimore with severe injuries that included a host of broken bones that he will be recovering from for months after being hit during the Gran Fondo event early on Sunday, Sept. 17.
The crash was reported at around 10:20 a.m. on Sunday on Foxville Road near Stottlemeyer Road. A second victim was also airlifted to the hospital for treatment and evaluation of what were described as non-life-threatening injuries.
According to his sister Jacquelyne in Leesburg, Pierson suffered a broken femur, hip, neck, back, pelvis sacrum, arm, knee, and jaw, all of which will require multiple surgeries and an arduous road to recovery.
To date, Pierson has undergone a pair of lengthy surgeries, the first to clean out his wounds, then to repair his broken jaw and reset a broken nose, both of which were complicated by his neck injury, which requires it be stabilized during any procedures, the family say.
His sister noted that Pierson is not paralyzed, but will require many more surgeries going forward, prompting her to establish a GoFundMe campaign on his wife's behalf, which raised more than $13,000 just hours after it was created.
“As we all know, Matthew is the most resilient, determined, strong, compassionate, sweet and loving human - father, husband, brother, and son,” she posted. “He has impacted the lives of others and has given his whole self in all that he does.”
The father of a 1-year-old boy, Pierson served eight years in the Navy following his graduation from the Naval Academy before retiring in 2019.
While he recovers, his sister says that his wife will be taking off from work indefinitely to support him and their child.
“He has impacted the lives of others and has given his whole self in all that he does,” Jacquelyn Pierson wrote on Caring Bridge. “It is our time to come together as a community and family to bring Matthew the strength and love he needs to persevere and endure this very long road to recovery.”
Those interested in donating to the Pierson family can do so here. Anyone who wants to leave a tribute for Matthew Pierson can do so here.
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