Wyatt Taylor, 14, is happy to be back in his signature jeans and boots after 52 days in the hospital. Courtesy photo
La Cueva teenager Wyatt Taylor lifts a bale of hay to feed his family’s animals. He had been concerned that he wouldn’t be able to lift bales after being in the hospital for almost two months but was happy to find out he could do it with no trouble at all. Courtesy photo
By MAIRE O’NEILL
Los Alamos Daily Post
After 52 days in the hospital, 14-year-old Wyatt Taylor of La Cueva is at home in his beloved Jemez Mountains. Taylor was seriously injured Dec. 17 in an ATV accident near his home.
Wyatt sustained full-thickness burns down to the bone on the right side of his face from the top of his head to his jawline, with major damage to his right eye and the right side of his nose as well as full-thickness burns to his left hand and arm. Doctors have been working to restore his face, save his vision and help him regain use of his left hand.
Since the accident, people from across the country and around the world have reached out to Taylor, particularly from the fire community. Taylor is a junior firefighter with the all-volunteer La Cueva Fire Department where his father, Lee, is the chief and his mother is the EMS captain. Dozens of fire departments have sent patches, t-shirts and well wishes to the teen and his family.
Of course, his home fire department has been particularly supportive. Taylor had completed his Wildland Firefighter II training last year and had responded to his first working wildland fire in November. On Feb. 6, he spent his day with his fellow firefighters in a classroom at the Child Life Center that was set aside for the RT-130 Annual Fireline Refresher Training. Taylor’s aunt, Cyndee Weeks, said Rob Barr from Valencia County Fire Department conducted the course at the hospital to that Taylor wouldn’t miss out on getting ready for the upcoming fire season.
“We are thankful that the Child Life staff was so accommodating in providing space for this to happen. Wyatt had a great time and it really helped prepare his mindset for the future of getting out of the hospital and moving ahead in his healing and recovery with the goal of getting back out on the fire line this season,” Weeks said.
On his first night home, Taylor had a good sleep in his own bed but Weeks said he didn’t sleep in as long as the thought he would because he was thinking of all the things he wanted to do. He went with his mother to get all their animals fed and enjoyed his first good non-hospital breakfast which he absolutely savored, Weeks said. Then he headed out to walk around the neighborhood to catch up with neighbors.
On his second evening at home, Weeks said Taylor was looking forward to the LCFD’s monthly meeting at the fire station but didn’t get to attend because just after he arrived, his pager went off for a local rescue.
“Wyatt was very happy to be able to jump back in to respond and help. 533 was back on the radio,” Weeks said. “After the call when he returned to quarters he was able to visit with fellow department members that he had missed so much. While he had seen many of them during his stay at the hospital, he was so happy to be back in his own environment among his fire family.”
Taylor still faces a long road of recovery and ongoing treatment. A Facebook page called Prayers for Wyatt is updated daily with details of Wyatt’s progress. The online address for a GoFundMe account to raise funds for the Taylor family is https://www.gofundme.com/fightingforfirefighterwyatt. The mailing address is La Cueva Volunteer Fire Department – Attention Wyatt Taylor, 122 Twisted Juniper, Jemez Springs, NM 87025.
