Commentary: Oakridge teen comes home from the hospital a day after the community shows its heart

By DOUG BATES/Editor/The Herald — Oakridge may not be a town full of rich people, but it is a town rich with good people.

Over a period of seven emotional hours Saturday, scores of them came together in a show of unity, love and support for a family whose lives have been turned upside-down by a terrible accident.

Throughout the day, standing-room-only crowds found their way to the Middle Fork Bistro in Uptown Oakridge. There, they listened to live music, chatted with friends and neighbors, and purchased food, drinks and raffle tickets for an astonishing array of products and services donated by the generous people of the Upper Willamette.

All proceeds from the event — early estimates put the amount at $3,500 to $4,000 — go to a fund set up for the family of Ashton Tilton, 18, valedictorian of the Oakridge High School Class of 2021. On Sept. 11, two days before he planned to move to Corvallis and enroll at Oregon State University, he was severely injured in a car accident near Hills Creek Reservoir.

The community’s biggest news of the weekend came the day after the big fundraising event. On Sunday, the young man came home from the hospital.

“Ash came home with his dad, Seth, who picked him up from the hospital in Eugene with all his gear and instructions,” his grandparents, Bob and Jan Tysoe, said in a statement Monday. “Ash maneuvered the uneven surface and up the steps into his home just using his walker. He refused his wheelchair and his crutches.

“In spite of his weakened state, his determination was on display for family (his mom, Robin, his sister, Hazel, and Grampa Bob and Grandma Jan). We all were in awe of his ability to navigate so well. His can-do spirit is alive and well.

“His best friends arrived to greet him as well, Voss, Ailah, Kylie and Alonso. All of us wanted to clap and cheer but it would have embarrassed Ash’s sense of modesty.”

All were also present at Saturday’s fundraiser, staged at the new Middle Fork Bistro through the generosity of its owner, Rick Yarbrough.

Musicians Kai Botak, Kerri Vandenburg, Naomi Wise and Andrew Leach took turns entertaining the audience, which changed throughout the day as well-wishers came and went. Almost every visitor appeared to purchase raffle tickets for a cornucopia of prizes ranging from store merchandise to massages, painting lessons and 18 holes of golf at Circle Bar.

In their Monday statement, Ash’s grandparents described a heartwarming scene of his Sunday homecoming.

“The family dog, Ginger, smothered him in kisses and his cat, Miss Merry Sparkles, curled up on his lap not willing to leave,” they said. “In the meantime, friends and family worked hard to create the right kind of space for Ash to recover with grab bars recommended by the physical and occupational therapists. There were a number of details to take care of so Ash can gain new mobility toward a full life. We have no doubt that he will do it as well as anyone faced with his injury.”

The grandparents, who live in King City, expressed amazement and appreciation for the outpouring of community support.

“The love of all of Oakridge shows how much he is looked up to and his kindness to others is being mirrored back to him,” they said.