16-YEAR OLD PRO DOWNHILLER CASH SHALEEN’S INJURY UPDATE

We featured Cash Shaleen in our December issue of Mountain Bike Action in our “Inside the Pro’s Bikes section of the magazine. Cash was one of the fastest rising downhill stars in Southern California. He had even started competing in the pro downhill ranks at some races at the age of 16. Cash even won a pro downhill race last year while still only 16, which is how old he is now.

MBA’s John Ker was thinking that Cash was on his way to becoming one of the world’s greatest downhill racers,  similar to Aaron Gwin, when we interviewed Cash a few months ago.

Before Cash even got the chance to see the article we did about him in our December issue of MBA, he was struck by another UTV while Cash was standing and working on his own UTV in Glamis, California. His back was crushed between the two UTVs. Cash’s spine was badly injured in the accident, leaving Cash  paralyzed below the waist. He still can’t walk, although Cash told us a couple of weeks ago that he was starting to get some feeling back in his legs, and he was also starting to be able to flex his quad muscles in his legs.

Cash’s mom, Apryl Shaleen, shared the following news on her Instagram page, @luv2sparkleout recently:

After 78 days in the hospital, Cash is finally home! ❤️ He’s ready to tackle life at full speed, and as a family, we couldn’t be more thrilled to all be together again. Cash is especially excited to sleep in his own bed, and the pups, Barker and Betty, are going to go wild when they see him! As for me, I can’t wait to get back in the kitchen (never thought I’d be so excited to cook!)—and, of course, start complaining about no one helping with the dishes!

Cash had his follow up neurology appointment on 1/9 at Desert Regional it went well—great news! All the hardware in his back looks fantastic, and his spine is healing right on track. His femur and patella are also mending well. He had a bone density scan and additional X-rays, as he’s still experiencing some pain where the bone is regenerating, and his range of motion isn’t quite where it needs to be yet. But Cash is working incredibly hard every single day, refusing to just “accept” his current state, and his determination continues to amaze us all.

At Casa Colina, he’s left an unforgettable impression on the doctors and nurses. More than one nurse has told him, “You’re my favorite patient I’ve ever had,” which absolutely warms this mom’s heart!

He recently had his evaluation at the outpatient facility he will go to, it’s called The Perfect Step, here Cash will start an intensive therapy program that starts this coming Monday. There’s no set end date—it’s all about putting in the work and moving forward. His “never settle for less” attitude has been such a gift in tackling this injury, and we know it will continue to serve him well.

We want to thank all our friends and family for your unwavering support. From visiting every single day to sending prayers and positive vibes!

Love Team Shaleen

Here’s the post from Cash’s mom: