RICHMOND, Va. — Nic Hayes has loved motocross since he was a child, competing in the amateur ranks up and down the East Coast for years. A crash in June 2023 left him paralyzed from the shoulders down — and now he is fighting to get back.
"I wanted a dirt bike since I was seven years old," Hayes said. "It is addicting. Nothing replaces it. It is my release."
For years, the Chester man worked his way through the amateur circuit, chasing progress and pushing his limits.
"I knew how much work I was going to have to do to be the best that I was trying to do," Hayes said. "Once you get to a certain level it is a pretty big high."
On June 25, 2023, during a practice ride about an hour from home, Hayes was thrown from his bike headfirst.
"The track was amazing," Hayes said. "I was shredding that day. I felt great that day but I held onto the handlebars too long."
Hayes, who had previously suffered broken wrists, broken legs, broken ribs and had a spleen removed, knew immediately this injury was different.
"I knew right at that moment. Excuse my language. I'm. like dammit. I was laying on my side. I could barely breathe," Hayes said.
He also could not move.
"I remember lying there. I thought I was going to suffocate," Hayes said.
Hayes was med-flighted to VCU Medical Center with a broken neck. The prognosis was poor.
"I remember everyone come in and saying, 'I'm sorry. I'm sorry,'" Hayes said.
Hayes was paralyzed from his shoulders down.
"It is scary. Very, very scary," Hayes said. "You see it happen to other people but you never think it is going to happen to you."
In the months that followed, Hayes struggled with the reality of his condition.
"I slept in every day till 10 o'clock, because the dreams I had, I was walking. I don't want to wake up," Hayes said. "It is like, what is going on? 'Oh, yeah. I can't move.'"
Three years after the accident, walking remains a distant memory.
"Take a chair. Go sit in a chair. Look out the window. You can't move your legs. You have to ask for everything. That is what my life is like," Hayes said.
Hayes relies on his parents and friends for everything, including personal hygiene. His father, Jim, helps with daily tasks he never anticipated.
"It is devastating. It was tough," Jim Hayes said. "I'm doing things I never thought I would have to do."
His mother, Diana, makes sure her son is well fed — including his favorite meal, mac and cheese, three times a day.
"Everything you just want him to be able to do, so, that is the hard part. Watching him when he can't, and knowing he wants to," Diana said.
Despite the daily challenges, Hayes finds meaning in small moments — and in his two children, son Ryan and daughter Emerson.
"I notice things differently. Right now, the trees. I listen," Hayes said. "I turned into an old soul. I love to watch the birds. Simple pleasures."
His children have grown up largely not knowing their father before the injury, but Hayes says their bond keeps him going.
"100%. It makes me forget that I am in this state. I'm blessed. I have two healthy kids," Hayes said. "I can't ask for anything more. They love me for who I am."
"I love it. They don't see me for the injury. They fight to see who can get a ride into the store," Hayes said.
Now, Hayes is preparing for what he hopes will be a turning point. He is raising $275,000 to fund an experimental surgery overseas and pay for caregivers.
"My doctor tells me I have greater than 50% chance," Hayes said. "Time is ticking."
Surgeons in either Thailand or Mexico will implant an Epidural Stimulator later this year. The device may spark movement in Hayes' extremities.
"I'll do anything it takes to try and regain the arms," Hayes said. "Legs, that is just bonus points."
"I'm ready to get there. I want to get there and get the ball rolling," Hayes said.
The healing and rehabilitation process may take up to five years.
"Mentally, ready for it," Hayes said. "You can't go do something like this and not be mentally prepared."
Hayes says the surgery is his best hope — and he is not giving up on the sport that shaped him, either. He still keeps his helmets and trophies.
"It reminds me of the good times we had. Just the good times we had," Hayes said.
If the surgery succeeds, Hayes holds onto one dream above all others.
"But if I had a miracle, I would do one lap," Hayes said. "Just one lap. That is all I want. I can't let it beat me."
"So what do I miss? I miss my independence," Hayes said. "I miss holding my kids. That is what drives me."
"There is a plan for that. I'm going to work through this. I'm stronger. I'm going to figure it out," Hayes said. "You can't let it beat you."
To donate to Hayes' surgery fund, visit hayesstrong.com.
Watch Greg McQuade's stories on CBS 6 and WTVR.com. If you know someone Greg should profile, email him at greg.mcquade@wtvr.com.
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