6-Year-Old Suffers Serious Skull Fracture After Falling Rock Hits Him During Family Hike in Washington State

Henry, "Hank," Purchase suffered a critical skull injury by a falling rock during family hike in Washington.
GoFundMe

The family has been posting updates on Hank’s health journey on Caring Bridge, an online journal.

A six-year-old boy was critically injured after he was hit in the head by a falling rock while on a family hike in Washington State. 

Henry “Hank” Purchase was playing when a climber accidentally kicked a loose rock that struck the boy in the head Sunday in Index. Emergency personnel airlifted Hank to Harbor View Medical Center in Seattle, People reported.

According to his family, a part of Hank’s skull had to be removed to relieve his inner cranial pressure. His father, Brett Purchase, wrote on a GoFundMe that “since the surgery there has been progress but, also rough spots.” 

“The PICU team and neurosurgeons here are trying to achieve a delicate balance for Hank. The complexity of his state are hard for me to fully grasp, but they have to balance Hank’s internal cranial pressure, blood pressure, C02 levels, breathing rate and other factors simultaneously,” Purchase wrote. 

The family has been posting updates on Hank’s health journey on Caring Bridge, an online journal.

On Friday morning, Purchase wrote that his son had a “great night with nurse Kat watching over him.”

“Neurosurgeons came through this morning and said if today proceeds like yesterday they will remove his cranial pressure monitor tomorrow morning. Removing Hank’s pressure monitor will be a big step as it will allow the team to do a MRI scan,” he wrote.

The family expressed their gratitude to the medical team and public's support and said they were “blown away.”

“I’ve always known Hank is a truly unique and amazing person and I’m touched that so many friends, family and people we have yet to meet have reached out in Hank’s hour of need,” Purchase wrote.

As of Friday, the GoFundMe has raised nearly $53,000 towards their goal of $75,000 to help pay for their sons medical expenses.

Related Stories