Charlie Porter making progress after January accident

Charlie Porter, the Red Feather Lakes resident who was severely injured on Jan. 28 when his vehicle flipped off County Road 73C, has begun a rehabilitation program at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins.

Porter, 35, was leaving Beaver Meadows Resort, where he is the maintenance manager, about 7 p.m. when he lost control of his 1974 Bronco and left the road. The vehicle flipped end-over-end and came to rest on the driver’s side, pinning Porter inside. Friends who were driving in front of and behind the Bronco summoned help, and volunteers from the nearby Red Feather firehouse extricated him. He was airlifted to Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, where he spent two weeks in intensive care. He is now in the Life Skills Rehab program at PVH, according to his mother, Lee Porter of Livermore.

“He’s walking around some, but he still has 24-hour nursing care,” she said. “It’s one day at a time.”

Porter’s wife Lorna, who also works at Beaver Meadows, has been spending most weekdays at the hospital, while Lee and her husband, Steve, have been caring for the couple’s two children, Ashleigh, 3, and Alex, 15, a student at Poudre High School.

A benefit dinner at The Potbelly in Red Feather on Feb. 18 raised about $1,100 to help cover medical expenses for Porter, who has no health insurance. Another fundraiser, which will include a raffle and potluck, is planned for March 24, starting at noon, at the Western Ridge Resort in Livermore. Main dishes will be provided for the $10 per person meal; bring side dishes and desserts. Raffle will be held at 7 p.m. Anyone with items to donate should contact Linda Weixelman at Beaver Meadows, 970-881-2450 or [email protected].

A website to receive donations has been set up at giveforward.com/teamporter, and had raised more than $1,900 by the end of February. Donations may also be made directly to Warren Federal Credit Union, 7670 Fifth St., Wellington, CO 80549, in Charlie Porter’s name.