Images of Dave Chami on his GoFundMe page show him with his son Weston and his injuries.
Images of Dave Chami on his GoFundMe page show him with his son Weston and his injuries.
The world's best skateboarders are digging into their pockets to help a Kiwi photographer facing a long recovery after being knocked from his Vespa just days before Christmas.
One of the world's top skateboarding photographers, Dave Chami, was heading home from a skateboarding photo shoot on December 21 when a 4WD reversed into him on his scooter just minutes from his Sydney home.
When the 42-year-old didn't return to his Coogee home his wife Sam started to worry and began calling friends.
Image posted by friend Justin Watene.
He worst fears were confirmed when she finally tracked him to St Vincent's Hospital by changing his password and using the location tracker on his iPhone.
The crash knocked the father-of-one out and left him with a broken jaw, broken teeth, dislocated hip and multiple breaks in his thigh and lower leg bones.
He spent several days in ICU and has had three operations so far including a gruelling nine-hour surgery on Boxing Day to insert two plates on either side of a fracture underneath his knee.
He is now recovering in the orthopedic ward and another operation is scheduled next week for his dislocated hip and other leg breaks. Chami had also chipped every tooth in his mouth.
Chami's long-time friend Justin Watene said his mate was lucky to be alive and in the hours after the crash friends and family weren't sure whether he was going to survive.
"From the initial stuff it was really touch and go and then he sort of stabilised."
Chami's recovery is now expected to take between 12 and 18 months and it will be at least eight months before he even walks again.
"It's pretty major."
Kiwi photographer Dave Chami is not expected to be able to walk for at least eight months after being seriously injured in a scooter accident just days before Christmas. Photo / GoFund Me
Watene said Chami had spent a lot of his career helping others in the skateboarding community. Watene had set up a GoFund Me page to help Chami during his recovery so he did not have to worry about finances.
Image posted by Justin Watene.
"He's going to be out for months. He won't be working and that money is really going to be minimal.
"And that's the great thing about skateboarders coming together in a time of need.
The fundraising page had a target of $150,000 and so far more than $73,000 had been raised.
"Dave to no end really helps skateboarders. If you look at half of those guys on there (GoFund Me) - Shane O'Neill, (Felipe) Gustavo - all these amazing skateboarders and they are all the Australian guys let alone the Americans. They are all just throwing in for him and he's helped every single one of these guys... If it wasn't for the photographer the skateboarders wouldn't be where they are."
Dave Chami in hospital from his GoFundMe page.
Skateboarders Aaron Homoki, Levi Hawken, Joey Pepper, Steve Cabellero and Emmanuel Guzman were among the large number of people who had donated via the site.
Watene said the money would go towards helping Chami, Sam and their son Weston while they could not work and to fund his rehabilitation and pay for their families to visit them.
Watene was in daily contact with Sam and Chami's mother who is still based in New Zealand had already flown over to Australia to support her son and his family.
Chami grew up in Pukekohe and had been living overseas for about 18 years.
Watene said Chami still had strong ties with New Zealand and when he was living in San Diego and working for top skateboarding magazine Transworld, he'd been the first port of contact for Kiwi skateboarders travelling there.
Chami relocated to Sydney about 18 months ago and works as a freelancer for a number of large companies including adidas.
