Family Rallies To Support East Hampton Father in Coma After Bicycle Accident

The family of an East Hampton man critically injured in a bike accident in May is rallying the community for support as he struggles to rebound from a serious head injury suffered in the crash.

On the evening of May 5, Jeff Yusko, 62, a salesman for P.C. Richard & Son, was struck by a white van while on a daily bike ride.

He survived the crash — he was wearing a helmet, and with the quick action of bystanders and EMTs he was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he was treated for a traumatic brain injury as well as three broken ribs, a broken sternum and other injuries.

His family rushed to his side.

“We all went there to the hospital, but we had no idea what the next step was,” his son, Tyler Yusko, 31, said this week, noting that his father was originally only given a 25 percent chance of surviving. “We have been there mostly every day since.”

While Yusko’s condition has slowly improved, given the nature of his injuries, his ultimate recovery remains uncertain.

“What I gather is it’s 50/50 on the basis of where he can get to and getting back to where he was,” Tyler Yusko said, adding, “He will never be 100 percent the same again.”

In the meantime, the cost of his medical care has skyrocketed, and the family is asking the community that knows and cares for him for financial support through a GoFundMe page, gofundme.com/PrayForJeffrey. As of Tuesday, it had raised more than $95,000 of its $250,000 goal.

The GoFundMe page includes more detailed updates on Yusko’s condition, as well as the ability to donate funds to help the family.

“East Hampton is such a small town, but I know so many loved ones that I was not able to get the news to,” said Tyler Yusko. “I hope the people will keep him in their prayers, because it is going to take a miracle for him to pull through at the end of the day.”

While the first few days in the hospital were touch-and-go, he has since been moved to the ICU, where he has been undergoing treatment to stabilize his condition. Although he has shown some improvement, he remains in a coma state and is not yet aware of his surroundings.

His family is grateful for each small step that Yusko makes in his recovery.

“I think, all things considered, he is in decent physical shape when it comes to his vitals and slowly opening his eyes for 20 to 30 minutes, but we are hoping he comes out of the coma state soon,” said Tyler Yusko.

His family hopes that he can become aware enough of his surroundings to be approved for transfer to a brain trauma center, where he can begin rehabilitation. However, there are a few more obstacles in his recovery that need to be overcome before that could occur.

In the weeks since his accident, each small step creates hope. He is now breathing on his own, the bleeding in his brain stopped within the first week of hospitalization, and several other procedures have helped improve his condition.

Tyler Yusko said it is difficult to see his father immobilized, as he loves to be active, taking daily walks with the family dog and bike rides through his neighborhood.

“This is really hard for me,” his wife, Kelly Yusko, 58, said. “We will have been married 35 years in August, and he loves his family and loves his kids and his dog, Chance.”

The Yusko family’s 12-year-old golden retriever was originally adopted for his daughter McKenzi Yusko’s 16th birthday but quickly became enamored with her father instead.

For years, she was determined to have a big dog she could call her own, but just before her 16th birthday, her mother said, “There’s no chance that we’re getting a big dog.”

“So, my 16th birthday came,” she said, “and my dad got me a white golden retriever and we named him Chance.”

McKenzi Yusko, 28, said that once she left for college, Chance and her father became best friends. They go for beach walks at sunrise and sunset, and many people in their community know the inseparable nature of the two.

“Chance is still waiting by our front door, eagerly waiting for the day my dad comes home,” McKenzi Yusko said. “He cries each night and has been tearing his hair out due to the emotional stress of not knowing where my dad is.”

Yusko has always been an optimistic and active guy, his family said.

When it came to balancing work and family life, he always put family first. Tyler Yusko said that one of his favorite memories from his childhood was that his father made sure he was at every sports game. Throughout the childhoods of his four children — Tyler, Cameron, 29, McKenzi and Brady, 26, — Yusko dedicated himself to his family by coaching their little league baseball and softball teams.

“Our house was always filled with sports and adventure,” McKenzi Yusko said. “Our weekends were filled with traveling to tournaments and our weekdays were filled with school and practice. We were all athletes and loved sports.”

Tyler Yusko added that his father’s commitment to the activities and passions of his children did not end once they were adults. In college, Tyler joined the club tennis team. When he had a big match that was being played in Massachusetts, his father did not hesitate to take off work and travel from Long Island to support his son. Moments like those are what taught Tyler Yusko the importance of constantly committing yourself to family and friends.

“Family is what we all prioritize because work is just a means to an end,” he said.