Father fights to help critically injured son

Frank Duyshart is fighting to save his son, who remains in a coma at St. Charles Medical Center in Bend after a horrific head-on collision on Highway 20 between Sisters and Bend on Monday, June 28.

Jonathan Duyshart, 21, driving a 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee, crossed the center line into the westbound lane and struck an oncoming 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer, killing all three occupants and leaving Duyshart in critical condition.

According to Frank Duyshart, his son suffered "a shearing injury to the brain." Doctors at St. Charles offer a grim prognosis.

They say that if -- and it's a big if -- Jonathan comes out of the coma he will not walk or talk again.

"There's a whole lot of won'ts and zero wills," Frank Duyshart said.

Frank is not willing to accept that -- not without a fight.

The Sisters man plans to take his son to Canada to pursue Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), a treatment regimen that saturates the cells of the body with pure oxygen in an effort to restore injured cells and promote healing.

HBOT uses the kind of hyperbaric chamber used to treat divers with the "bends," an oxygen-starvation syndrome associated with coming up too fast from a deep dive.

Proponents of HBOT believe it can help stroke patients and people with brain and spinal cord injuries. The treatment is widely used in other countries, but it is currently outside the scope of accepted practice in the United States.

Frank Duyshart did not decide lightly to chase this hope of helping his son. He researched HBOT thoroughly and consulted with doctors in clinics in Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia. He said he saw examples of recovery from devastating injuries.

"I have to pursue this," he said. "It's the only hope I have."

Currently, Jonathan is off life support and breathing on his own. Frank hopes that he will be stabilized enough within the next two weeks to make the journey to Canada.

Frank estimates that the treatment and costs of residential care in Canada will be at least $35,000. He has poured all of his financial resources into trying to save his son.

John and Nancy Reuter of Fotos In A Flash have pitched in. Jonathan used to work for them at the photo lab and Nancy has created a raffle quilt to raise funds for his care. Raffle tickets are available at Fotos In A Flash, 123 E. Hood Ave.

In addition, a donation account has been set up for Jonathan Duyshart at the Sisters branch of US Bank.

Given the scope of the tragedy and the long road ahead for his son, Frank Duyshart acknowledges that determining the cause of the June 28 crash might seem unimportant.

But he is convinced that the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office conclusion that Jonathan was attempting to pass when the accident occurred is wrong. He cites the fact that there were no skid marks leading into the crash from either vehicle. It's as if Jonathan never saw the oncoming SUV.

Frank recalled that he passed his son, going in the opposite direction, moments before the wreck. His son did not respond to his wave and Frank said it looked as though his head was slumped over on his shoulder.

Frank watched in his rear view mirror as his son's Jeep crossed over the line and smashed into the oncoming Trailblazer.

"I called 911," he said. "I held (Jonathan's) head up while he was bleeding from the mouth so he wouldn't choke."

Perhaps reasons why shouldn't matter, "but it's important to me and it's important to Jonathan," Frank said.

"Because if he does wake up, I don't want it on the record that he did something stupid and killed three people."