Algonquin man faces long road to recovery after tree falls on him
A teacher and father in northwest suburban Algonquin is on a long road to recovery after a tree fell on him as he was attempting to cut it down.
JD Hoth is a father of three, a runner, and a beloved Huntley teacher who has spent years helping students through life's challenges. Now he's dealing with a challenge of his own a couple weeks after he was seriously injured while cutting down a tree in his front yard.
His wife, Jenny, said her husband was doing everything right. He had on a helmet, protective gear, and had cut down trees before, but there was no way to predict how fast or where this one would fall.
"I told him, like, 'You need to wait until someone gets home before you start.' So, I was at the dentist, and I came home, and then he got started," she said.
But the tree was more compromised than anyone realized, and it fell without warning.
"The problem is that the tree hit him on the head," Jenny said.
JD was airlifted to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, and they knew immediately he was paralyzed.
"Right now, he really can't feel anything pretty much from the chest down," Jenny said.
JD has been moved to a rehab facility, and Jenny said his recovery could take a year. They are not sure if he will ever regain movement.
"His surgeon said he's never seen it, and he's realistic," Jenny said.
They are now preparing their home for a different future, adding a wraparound driveway and other ADA accessible features because they have no plans to leave.
Jenny said their community has stepped up in ways they never expected, caring for their kids, surrounding them with support, even cleaning up the tree.
"We'll probably plant a bunch of trees in front of the fence so we don't have to look at it," she said.
The road ahead is long. Jenny said she will be their only source of income while facing mounting medical bills, home renovations, and rehab.
"We pride ourselves on not asking for help, and that's one of the things JD told me was, like, 'You've got to accept help,'" Jenny said.
Their community started a GoFundMe to help the Hoths in hopes JD comes home soon.
"My other daughter went to Girl Scout camp that morning, and she hasn't seen her dad since. He wants to look strong for her," Jenny said.
Jenny said JD is ok cognitively. He has feeling in his shoulders, arms, right hand, and a little in his left hand.
She is a teacher and goes back to school on Thursday, and there's a lot their family still has to figure out.
