WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE — Fifteen-year-old Dane Webb, a local resident who performed July 17 at the Fayette County Fair Rodeo, is still in critical condition after being trampled by the bull he was riding. His family is in need of financial assistance to help support them through this devastating time.

Lindsey Stemann, a friend of the family, has organized a fundraiser on behalf of Dane and his mother, Kazia Dehart.

“Dane Webb is a 15-year-old boy who was enjoying a typical night at the Fayette County Fair on July 17th, 2023 doing what he loves most — bull riding,” Stemann wrote. “Dane has been riding bulls in the rodeo on the weekends around Ohio for years and has started to perfect his talent. This boy has big dreams of riding professionally with the PBR (Professional Bull Riding).

“Unfortunately, his ride ended shortly after it began when he was aggressively bucked off and trampled. The bull proceeded to pounce on Dane’s torso several times resulting in severe, life-threatening damage to his liver and other internal organs.”

Dane was rushed from the fairgrounds to Adena Fayette Medical Center where they discovered he was bleeding internally but weren’t medically equipped to handle that kind of trauma, according to Stemann. He was then taken to Dayton Children’s Hospital where he was prepared for surgery. The doctors at Dayton Children’s Hospital were sure he wasn’t going to make it and stated they were not equipped to handle an injury of this severity, Stemann said.

From there, Dane was transferred to Miami Valley Hospital and again, was met with the same response. Miami Valley tried to make arrangements for Dane to be air-lifted to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus but, was unable to do so because of a bad storm with rain that night.

Dane was driven from Dayton to Columbus and was finally able to be admitted into the Nationwide Children’s Hospital after attempting three other hospitals on the same night.

Upon his intake, the doctors found no broken bones but found that his liver had been completely shattered, according to Stemann. Dane’s injuries include a grade 5 liver laceration, IVC laceration, right adrenal injury, grade 2 splenic laceration, a small bowel intussusception, and trace pneumomediastinum.

Stemann said it was the worst case the doctor had ever seen, to which he remarked, “There’s no reason he should be alive right now.”

Every doctor from all four hospitals agreed that Dane should not have made it through the night, according to Stemann, but Dane started his journey in the ICU fighting for his life and is continuing to do so. He has been placed in a medically induced coma to keep him from moving and causing more damage and internal bleeding. He has had many surgeries (six-plus) to stop the bleeding, remove leaking bile, and stint his liver so it can repair itself.

The doctors say he will need multiple surgeries and procedures moving forward to help Dane become stable enough to recover and make it home alive, Stemann said.

“Needless to say, Dane has a long road ahead and will be in the hospital for many months to come. While the liver can regenerate itself, the growth is slow and takes time,” she wrote. “The saddest news of all is that the doctors say even if he recovers, his career in bull riding is most likely over as it would be too risky for him considering his traumatic injuries. Dane is unaware of this at this time.”

This fundraiser was created to help Dane’s mom, Kazia, a single mother who has recently lost her job due to spending every day at the hospital with her son, according to Stemann.

“Kazia has no other source of income and unfortunately, her car is older, unreliable, and on its last leg. She spends every day and night at the hospital with Dane and only leaves the hospital to drive home to take a shower, get some rest, and grab a bite to eat. She is spending all her time at her son’s bedside like any mother would do,” she wrote.

“This sweet boy is a friend to many and a son to two parents who are completely devastated. This fundraiser was created to raise money to allow Kazia to purchase a more reliable vehicle to help her commute to see her son without worry. We hope these donations will also cover gas and food expenses for the family as well as money to assist with any bills during this time,” Stemann wrote. “Dane needs support, prayers, and a miracle to bring him home.”

To help the Webb family get through this devastating time, you can visit their GoFundMe website at https://gofund.me/3e114d66. Any amount of financial support is greatly appreciated.

T-shirts, support bracelets, and vinyl decals that say “Dane’s Fight” can also be purchased for this cause. Information on the items for purchase can be found on Facebook or by searching for the fan page “Dane’s Fight.” All proceeds will go directly to Dane’s mother, Kazia.