Hi, my name is Byron Garmon, and I'm writing this for my good friend and riding buddy, Alec Key. I can't believe I'm writing a crowdfunding story for someone I had just been riding beside only minutes before his life changed.

On Saturday, September 5, 2026, Alec and I were returning home after attending a motorcycle poker rally supporting the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The VFW has a long history of supporting veterans, military families, and local communities, so it was a great cause for us to get out and ride for. We had spent the day together and were heading home when, about five minutes before Alec's accident, we went our separate ways.

I still think about those five minutes. I wish I had been there when the accident happened. As his friend and riding buddy, it's difficult knowing that we had just been together and that I wasn't there beside Alec when he needed help.

Alec was riding home when his motorcycle began running low on gas. As he was attempting to move toward the turning lane, he was struck from behind. The accident left Alec with devastating injuries to his left foot along with serious road rash, including an injury to his elbow that went down to the bone.

Since the accident, Alec has already undergone surgery and had one toe amputated from his left foot on Sunday. Unfortunately, his doctors have determined that another toe also needs to be amputated, and Alec is scheduled to undergo his second surgery tomorrow (Wednesday). The pain has been excruciating, especially when he tries to put weight on his foot and walk. What started as a normal ride home has suddenly become the beginning of what could be a very difficult road to recovery.

Before this accident, Alec worked at Harben servicing high pressure water systems. He loves his job, the people he works alongside, and the clients he has the opportunity to serve. His work requires him to be physically capable and mobile, and with the injuries to his foot, the loss of one toe, another surgery ahead, and the anticipated loss of a second toe, there is a lot of uncertainty about when he'll be able to return.

But there's another part of Alec's story that makes what has happened even more difficult.

The loves of Alec's life are his fiancée, Emma, and the baby they are expecting together. This should be one of the most exciting times of their lives, but the past month has already been incredibly stressful for both of them. Emma has been hospitalized because of PPROM, or preterm premature rupture of membranes, a serious pregnancy complication in which the amniotic sac breaks before labor and before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Because it can create risks for both mom and baby, Emma has needed close medical attention and monitoring.

Before Alec's own accident, he was there for Emma each and every day. That's the kind of person Alec is. While Emma was going through something frightening and uncertain with their unborn baby, Alec was beside her supporting her through it. Now, suddenly, Alec is the one facing another surgery while trying to recover from a serious motorcycle accident.

It's difficult seeing two people who should be preparing to welcome their baby into the world instead facing so much at the same time. Emma is dealing with a complicated pregnancy, Alec is recovering from a serious motorcycle accident, and neither of them knows exactly what the coming weeks and months will bring.

Alec has a long road ahead of him. He needs time to heal, adjust to the changes in his foot, regain his mobility, and hopefully get back to the work and life he loves. At the same time, medical expenses and everyday living expenses continue, regardless of what this family is going through.

That's why I'm helping Alec launch this HelpVy campaign. The funds raised will help Alec and Emma with medical expenses and everyday living expenses as Alec recovers and they continue navigating Emma's pregnancy and preparing for the arrival of their baby.

If you're able to donate, no matter the amount, please consider helping my friend and his growing family. If you aren't able to contribute financially, sharing Alec's story with others would also mean a great deal.

I wish I could have been beside Alec when this accident happened. I couldn't be there in those first moments, but I can be beside my friend now. I'm hoping our friends, fellow riders, coworkers, family, and community will stand beside him too.

Thank you for supporting Alec, Emma, and their baby during an incredibly difficult chapter in their lives.

Byron Garmon ❤️🙏🏍️