UGA freshman survives 'horrific' Colorado ski accident, left with traumatic brain injury

UGA freshman suffers life-altering ski injury

Ayden Slipsager, a freshman at the University of Georgia and recent graduate of Dunwoody High School, suffered a traumatic brain injury while skiing in Colorado. He's now being treated at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, and his family is asking the community for support during his rehabilitation.

ATLANTA - An 18-year-old University of Georgia freshman is recovering in a Colorado hospital following a life-altering ski accident that occurred during his winter break.

Ayden Slipsager, a DeKalb County college student, suffered broken bones, a damaged lung, and a traumatic brain injury two and a half weeks ago. 

What they're saying:

Despite the severity of his injuries, Slipsager said he feels "blessed to be alive" as he prepares to return to Georgia for specialized treatment at the Shepherd Center in Buckhead.

"I’m feeling pretty good. Could be worse," Slipsager said from his hospital bed. "Definitely feel like there's room for improvement, but right now I'm about as good as I can be."

The accident occurred on an ungroomed section of the slopes. His mother, Tami Slipsager, said a passerby found her son unconscious after his friend had been searching for him for more than 30 minutes.

"They don’t know what he hit. They say it wasn’t trees, he wasn't found by trees," Tami Slipsager said. "They saw it was an ungroomed part of the ski slopes. That’s not Ayden."

The crash followed a series of texts between the student and his family. Because he had not skied in several years, Slipsager had been asking his mother and sister for advice.

"He just kept falling a lot and he was asking us tips," Tami Slipsager said. "The next morning I woke up and I texted him and I said, 'Ayden, please, let me just buy you some, you know, individual lessons before you go out on the slope today. I’m just not really feeling good about it.' To be honest with you, I said, 'I don’t want you to get hurt or killed.' I literally said those words in a text."

A few hours later, she received a call from an urgent care center in Keystone, Colorado, informing her of the severe accident.

While the family still has unanswered questions about the logistics of the crash, the primary focus has shifted to a long road of rehabilitation. Doctors have cautioned the family that Slipsager may lose hearing in his right ear.

Slipsager said his motivation to recover comes from his desire to return to his life as a student.

"My family really keeps me going every day," he said, noting he wants "to be in school" and "hanging out with my friends, doing what I love."

The Shepherd Center is pictured in Atlanta. (FOX 5)

What's next:

Slipsager's friends and family are working to bring him back to metro Atlanta so he can begin rehab at the Shepherd Center in Buckhead.