Jake Thomas
Fri Mar 31, 2017

A recent appeal to the music industry and beyond has been launched to help the son of Ian Thomas who was recently in a devastating accident.

On Saturday, January 7th, 2017, Jake Thomas was snowmobiling with some friends, enjoying the last of the winter holidays, when he endured a serious accident in his resident town of Bracebridge, Ontario. The accident has left him with life-altering injuries, and his family with life-altering circumstances.

Jake’s injuries include 7 broken ribs, a dislocated hip and fractured acetabulum, but worst of all - a T12 burst fracture. On Sunday, the 8th, the Sunnybrook neurosurgeon confirmed that Jake sustained a complete spinal cord injury, resulting in paralysis from the waist down.

Although the news was devastating , Jake has bravely accepted his new reality; he has displayed the ultimate courage, strength and perseverance anyone could ever demonstrate under these tragic circumstances.

Jake is husband to Jenny Thomas, and the proud father to four terrific kids: Lauren (15), Ethan (13), Grace (10) and Luke (7). Jake has always been an exceptionally involved father, who not only takes a very active role in his kids’ lives, but also in the Bracebridge/Muskoka community at large. Jake routinely supports the community by coaching hockey and soccer teams, creating community videos, shuttling other parents’ kids to various activities, and offering assistance to anyone in need. He has spent countless hours enjoying water sports on Riley Lake, Lake Rosseau and many other lakes throughout Ontario.

Pre-kids, you could find Jake in one of two places, behind the boat wakeboarding, barefooting, showing off his latest tricks, or behind the wheel of a boat coaching and encouraging hundreds of people to practice their new moves. Both Jake and Jenny share a deep love for Muskoka, with their families dating back generations throughout the Muskoka region. It’s no wonder that they chose to settle down and raise their four kids in the small but special town of Bracebridge.

Over the years, Jake and his family have developed several small business initiatives in the community that have left a positive and impactful impression on the town and its occupants. It is not just the business contributions that make Jake and Jenny so very special, but the camaraderie that they have with all the residents, cottagers and visitors that make them stand out amongst the crowd.

Jake has always had huge involvement in many outdoor sports, including: mountain biking, wakeboarding, hockey, downhill skiing and snowmobiling. While he is extremely passionate about athletics, at the end of the day he is a 'drop what you’re doing, roll up your sleeves and help a neighbour out’ type of guy.

The Thomas family will have some significant challenges in the near future that they could not have prepared for and should not have to endure alone. Jake and Jenny need our help, and so it’s time for all of us to ‘roll up our sleeves’ and give back to the Thomas family. Let’s all band together and ensure that he and his family can move forward. Let’s all help make the road ahead as smooth and effortless as possible, as the family prepares for the necessary transitions.

Each and every dollar counts, a donation of any size would be greatly appreciated, because, as we all know, It’s not the amount donated by one individual that will have the greatest impact, but the effort of a whole community that will make all the difference. The monies raised will be used to help retrofit the family home and vehicles, to purchase the necessary mobility devices, and allow Jake to have as much comfort as possible in his day-to-day living.

If you would like to help any amount would be appreciated.

gofundme.com/jakethomasmuskoka

In advance, the Thomas-Soden-Vaughan-Ford families want to thank you for your love, support and generosity.