Scott’s Brain Damage

by Natalie Paul

Dear Friends,

We’d like to share an update about Scott and his plans for this year.

On Tuesday, January 7th, Scott was skiing with his dad, brother, and brother-in-law at Snowbird.

During the first run of the day near Little Cloud, he attempted a jump he’d probably done a hundred times before. However, with thinner snow coverage and an over rotation things took a rough turn.

Scott over-rotated a single backflip, landing hard on his back, fracturing his T8 vertebrae. His head whipped back, causing a traumatic brain injury (TBI), concussion, and severe whiplash. The impact knocked him unconscious, and he tumbled over rocks and boulders. It took a team of 10 ski patrollers to get him off the mountain.

See video here

The U of U medical helicopter couldn’t land due to high winds, so Scott was transported by ambulance to the hospital. By the time he arrived, he was hypothermic, his clothes still packed with snow from the fall over an hour and a half earlier. I arrived at the hospital shortly after him.

The days that followed were challenging. It took about three days for Scott to gain any awareness of what had happened and where he was. He doesn’t recall much of the six days we spent in the hospital. We listened to the moodgate app. I read aloud to him, kept him hydrated and gently massaged him to help ease the pressure in his head and body. Around day 5 he asked for Chick-fil-A and nothing ever sounded sooooo good. It was the first thing he had any interest in eating.

This is not his first head injury, which only compounds the seriousness of this one and highlights the need for significant lifestyle changes during his recovery.

TBI recovery is a delicate process. Healing happens when the brain feels safe and isn’t overstimulated, allowing energy to shift from protecting the injury to repairing it. This year, our focus is on Scott’s healing—mentally, physically, and emotionally—and avoiding any further injuries.

For the year, Scott will be taking a sabbatical and stepping back from the very public life he has lived. This includes not attending Utah Tech Week next week—a decision that was particularly difficult, as it’s an event he helped create and has been deeply involved in from the very beginning. He loves celebrating Utah’s incredible entrepreneurs and companies, but at this stage of recovery, the lights, sounds, and large groups of people are simply too overwhelming. This sabbatical will give him the space and time he needs to focus fully on his healing.

Scott won’t be as accessible during this time abd screens are not great for brain recovery, so very little phone and laptop, as his energy will be directed toward recovery. This is a tender time for our family, and we feel so fortunate to have an incredible community surrounding us with love and support.

Our immediate needs are fully covered, and we deeply appreciate the many offers of help. For those who feel inspired to support in other ways, a couple things Scott might enjoy during his recovery include Audible credits or DoorDash gift cards. If you’d like to contribute in this way, please email his assistant Andrew Jensen (andrewjensen112@gmail.com) to coordinate. Your thoughtfulness means so much to us.

Thank you for respecting our request for space and for continuing to surround us with kindness, love, and support during this journey.

With gratitude,
Natalie Paul