Mustang High School student survives motorcycle crash, leaves hospital with heartwarming parade

A Mustang High School sophomore who was hit by a truck while riding his motorcycle in July left the hospital after less than two months, his family told News 9 on Tuesday. 

Doctors initially told Ryder VanNoy's family that he would be in the hospital for about five months, but his loved ones held a going-home parade for him on the 49th and final day of his stay. 

"It's just crazy to me to think that 49 days ago, when we walked into the hospital for the first time, we were met by the police and the chaplain, and we were told that Ryder probably was not going to make it,” his mom Leslie Cooper recalled. 

With a traumatic brain injury and multiple broken bones, Ryder said, “I don’t remember a single bit of coming in here.” 

He came to realize he was in the hospital just two weeks ago. That’s when he said he discovered his injuries from the bike accident. 

"Just a bunch of scars and then I have rods in my legs and screws somewhere. And, my pelvis was broken,” he shared. 

His doctor told News 9 that Ryder made tremendous progress during his stay, after coming in with a brain injury and subsequent difficulties controlling his emotions. 

“It’s absolutely a miracle, yes,” Cooper stated. 

Ryder’s mom said there is one thing that has carried them through: 

"Coming into the hospital, well, I stand a lot on my faith, so I was pretty confident that we were going to come out of this no matter what the report said." 

With a long road to recovery ahead, Ryder said he’s ready to move forward doing the things he loves, like golfing and hanging out with friends.

He added that he hopes to be able to work and drive again sometime next year. 

His parents said his medical bills have already amounted to more than a million dollars, before insurance. If you’d like to donate to his GoFundMe, click here. 

His family also said they welcome anyone who wants to follow his Facebook page for updates about his progress and upcoming fundraisers.