Survivors share their stories of traumatic injury, grief, resilience and recovery at the BCH Trauma Symposium

The Boulder Community Health (BCH) Trauma Services Department features lectures and discussions led by speakers from BCH as well as organizations across the greater metropolitan area on a variety of topics related to trauma medicine, patient care and best practices.

As the first Level II Trauma Center in Boulder County, BCH has sophisticated technology and highly trained medical staff readily available to treat seriously injured patients. We are proud to host the Trauma Symposium as an opportunity for BCH staff, our first responder partners and our colleagues across the Front Range to learn from one another and expand our depth of knowledge in trauma care.

Keynote topics are delivered each year by former trauma patients at BCH who share their stories of trauma, grief, resilience and recovery through the eyes of our community.

2023: BCH patient and trauma survivor Thomas Mitchell and his partner Nelson Guerra spoke about Thomas’ traumatic injury after being struck by a car in South Boulder, and his care and recovery with BCH and beyond.

On Jan. 3, 2022, Thomas was headed home to have lunch with his husband, Nelson when he hit a pothole on 28^th street in Boulder. Realizing he had a flat tire, he pulled over at the intersection of Broadway and Riley to retrieve his spare tire. While accessing the spare tire compartment, Thomas was struck from behind by another vehicle, separating his legs from his body. Rushed to Foothills Hospital in tourniquets applied by bystanders, Thomas received a massive blood transfusion to replace half his blood volume, surgery to close his wounds and intubation overnight.

The next day, Thomas was extubated and woke to a very different reality – one with a wheelchair and prosthetics, and six months of intensive rehabilitation at multiple facilities. Despite the immense hardships Thomas and Nelson have faced, Thomas spoke to the things that have helped him stay positive while adjusting to his new normal. “In life we don’t get a choice in what cards we’re dealt, but we do get a chance in how we play those cards,” and, “You can’t wait until life isn’t hard to decide to be happy,” were quotes that resonated.

Returning to the Trauma Symposium gave Thomas and his family a chance to reconnect with the first responders and hospital staff who were involved in his care, many of whom were deeply impacted by his experience.

“All of us have incidents that stick with us long after they occur. This is one of mine,” writes David Gelderoo, Deputy Fire Chief. “Mr. Mitchell was driving from point A to point B and got a flat tire. Moments later, his life trajectory was irreversibly changed. I cannot imagine the enormity of how this has impacted him in his relationships, his work or his day-to-day routine.

“These types of calls leave a mark. It’s difficult not to put ourselves in the position of our patient or their loved ones. We walk away knowing we did the right thing, but we also walk away with another dozen emotional paper cuts that we try to deal with as best we can.

“Our responders and medical professionals know what to do, know how to do it, and do it well. But today, we have an opportunity to honor and appreciate them.”

Watch the full keynote speech by BCH patient and trauma survivor, Thomas Mitchell and his partner Nelson Guerra here.

2024: BCH patient Eric Erickson and his wife, Sue Erickson, shared their story of sudden heart attack and subsequent bike crash on Highway 119: “His life wasn't just saved — it was restored"

In a moving video and keynote address — moderated by Aric Parker, BCH Chaplain, and Laura Harmon, MD, BCH’s Trauma Medical Director and Chair of the Department of Surgery – trauma survivor Eric Erickson shared his story of perseverance after suffering a cardiac event while cycling on Highway 119.

Eric, a lifelong athlete and cancer survivor, purchased a burrito in Hygiene for his ride home to south Boulder during a training ride in preparation for his next Ironman triathlon. It was the last thing Eric remembered before he crashed his bike and woke up almost seven days later in the ICU.

Eric had suffered a “widow maker” heart attack, characterized by plaque in his artery suddenly breaking apart, causing blood to rapidly clot – blocking blood flow to his brain and stopping his heart. After receiving bystander CPR and a shock from an automated external defibrillator (AED) for Eric's sudden cardiac arrest, an ambulance took him to Foothills Hospital.

Eric was received at the BCH Emergency Department in minutes where he was intubated and taken to the catheterization lab for clot extraction and stent placement to open his blocked artery. Over the next few days, Eric survived dangerously low pressure, and massive blood loss from spleen and liver lacerations.

"I'm not here without many exceptional and qualified doctors and great nurses – who happen to be great human beings. But everybody else who works in a hospital matters too," says Eric Erickson.

Eric’s wife, Sue, recalls, “When Eric and I were discussing the question about how his life was changed, he said, ‘I can’t answer that, my life hasn’t really changed,’ and I said that’s the point – your life was restored. The team of professionals here, the support of our friends, the love of our neighbors, our faith in God and at the top of that list is Boulder Community Health – we have them to thank.”

“Forever,” says Eric, “it’s not just today, it’s for as long as we live.”

Watch the full keynote video by BCH patient and trauma survivor, Eric Erickson, and his wife, Sue Erickson here.

2025: Triny Willerton shared her incredible journey to Kona, Hawaii, for the Ironman World Championship five months after being hit by a truck while cycling.

After pregnancy and childbirth, Triny started a fitness and nutrition program that ignited a love for endurance sports, leading her to triathlons. After establishing a successful career placing in Ironman races, Triny was training for Ironman Boulder in hopes of qualifying for the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, when she was hit on May 8, 2018, by a distracted driver behind the wheel of a Ford F-150 while turning left at Nelson and 63^rd, near Hygiene, CO.

“I never lost consciousness as I flew to the ground and there was this terror not knowing if I was alive or dead, if I would be able to walk again, or if there was another car coming.” Triny recalls. “All I could think about were my kids… I thought I’m not going to get to see them grow up.”

When first responders arrived, she asked to be taken to Boulder Community Health where she received care for multiple fractures and a punctured lung. She was grateful for every milestone and made a goal to race the Ironman Kona the very same year in October only five months later. She raced as an ambassador for female athletes and has since started a 501c3 nonprofit "It Could Be Me" which has gained national notoriety and participation from international professional Ironman athletes.

“I was in the hospital for six days, but when I left, I felt that I was leaving my family behind. I wanted to find some way to thank them but there wasn’t anything in this world that could compensate for all the love I received,” Triny shares. “After an injury, every patient has the potential to become a change maker, and every person involved in a patient’s care plays a part in that change.”

Watch the recording of Triny’s Keynote Address here.

2026: Craig Towler and Angela Montgomery share about Craig's injury and their shared journey from self to systems advocacy for trauma survivors after the hospital.

On July 4, 2016, Craig Towler was standing behind his car in front of his home in Boulder, Colorado when an intoxicated, distracted driver hit the car parked behind him, crushing him between the two vehicles and severing his legs at the knee.

Bystanders reacted immediately and followed Craig’s instructions to tie tourniquets around his legs above each wound. “I remember telling them, ‘I’m going to scream, but you have to keep making them tighter,’” Craig recalls.

An ambulance arrived quickly transporting Craig to the Boulder Community Health (BCH) Emergency Department (ED), but his wounds were too severe for the staff to care for in 2016, and he was taken to Denver Health by Flight for Life.

Craig was determined a “Life or Limb” patient, meaning his damaged limbs must be amputated in order to save his life. “The only reason I am alive today is because of those tourniquets,” Craig says. “They left them tied the whole flight and didn’t take them off until surgery.”

After the amputation of both his legs at the knee, after Craig was released from the ICU at Denver Health, he was sent to BCH for inpatient rehab, where he was visited by Angela Montgomery, a local Prosthetist, who told him he might be a good candidate for prosthetics once his legs healed enough. “I remember telling her, ‘Thank you for the information, I look forward to talking to you when the time comes,” Craig recalls.

“He was so different from anyone else I had worked with,” says Angela, “he was so in the moment, and not focusing on the past or too far in the future.” When he was ready, Craig met with Angela and they began a journey together not just to help Craig walk again, but to improve access to recovery resources for trauma survivors across the state of Colorado.

Since Craig and Angela met as patient and provider, they learned about the many challenges faced by trauma survivors after leaving the hospital. “I was in a wheelchair now in a house without ramps, where I couldn’t reach the top of the fridge anymore,” says Craig. “I didn’t know who to call or even find out who to call to help me build a ramp or set my house up so I could get around.” Navigating the complexity of the health care system and the lack of direct support for patients once they returned home was startling.

As Craig learned how to advocate for his needs after his injury, his friendship with Angela grew into a partnership focused on advocating for trauma survivors at the systems level. Dedicating his future and career to helping others face the challenges he experienced, Craig is now the Director of Public Policy and Advocacy at the Center for People With Disabilities, also serving on the Trauma Survivors Network (TSN) Advisory Board, Boulder Chapter. He and Angela have taken on numerous legislative projects and even passed a bill in Colorado to require insurance coverage for a secondary prosthetic for recreational activities to ensure a return to the activities that bring survivors joy and purpose.

Craig recently married his wife, Ligia, in the spring of 2025 and proudly walked and danced with family and friends, including Angela and her wife and son. Today, he and Angela continue their work to help others in our community get the services and resources they need after trauma. This summer on July 4, 2026 – the turn of a decade since his injury – Craig says he is looking forward to celebrating “10 years of being alive.”

See Craig and Angela’s full presentation here.

The BCH Trauma Symposium is made possible with the support of generous donors and the BCH Foundation.