After a life-changing motorcycle accident, the couple looks to the future with courage and humor as well as a lot of support from friends and family

The story of how Tyler Stone and Jessica Abbott met is material for a sweet love film.

Abbott had accompanied her uncle Tim Quigley and his son Derek on a motorcycle ride organized by the Roscoe American Legion Post 801.

“She was on the back of her cousin’s bike and at one of the stops she made a funny joke about me. At the next stop I asked her if she would help me with the 50/50 and we got chatting,” Stone recalled. “Later I asked her cousin if it would be OK if I asked her to ride back with me and she did and we’ve been together ever since.”

Their love story began in the back of a Harley-Davidson and grew with regular motorcycle rides with the American Legion Post 801, of which both are members, and frequent outings “on any nice day we could get.”

On a warm, sunny day in September 2023, the couple drove to the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia, where Stone surprised Abbott by getting down on one knee and proposing on the observation deck, with the majestic Seneca Rocks in the background.

Two days before Christmas, Stone and Abbott bought a house in Monongahela and celebrated the holidays there amidst packed boxes.

But on April 15, on their way home from lunch at a Connellsville restaurant, the couple was involved in an accident that would change their lives.

They were traveling north on State Route 201 in Rostraver Township when a southbound driver crossed the yellow line, bounced off a railing and sideswiped Stone’s motorcycle.

“As soon as my fiancé saw him coming, he swerved so the driver side-swiped us instead of hitting us head-on, which we probably wouldn’t have survived. He hit us on the right side. I think the motorcycle was connected to the car until it came to a stop, so we were dragged along on the motorcycle until then, and then it flipped over,” Abbott said.

When the rescue workers arrived, they found the couple in poor condition and their injuries were life-threatening.

Abbott suffered a gruesome open fracture of her right leg and lost nearly half of her blood. Before paramedics arrived, a stranger who happened to be at the scene of the accident came to her aid. He placed a tourniquet on her leg, which likely saved her life.

In the meantime, Stone suffered two skull fractures and a brain hemorrhage, a fracture of the right femur, a shin injury and nearly avulsed three toes.

Paramedics amputated Abbott’s severely injured leg below the knee at the scene of the accident.

Stone and Abbott were taken to the emergency room at UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh, where doctors grimly assessed their injuries.

The muscle and tissue damage to Abbott’s remaining leg was so severe that doctors eventually had to amputate it above the knee.

Three of Stone’s right toes were amputated and a rod was inserted into his leg.

After long hospital stays, Stone and Abbott, both of whom rely on wheelchairs, are recovering at the home of Abbott’s father and stepmother while their house is renovated to accommodate their needs.

Abbott is a veterinary assistant and Stone is a construction equipment operator. Neither of them will be able to return to work any time soon.

Despite the couple’s long recovery and uncertain future, their optimism is remarkable, Abbott’s uncle said.

“I’m very proud of them both and how they’ve dealt with what they’re going through. They’re just incredible and very popular around here.”

“I believe that a positive attitude is important. I believe that the mind is above matter and that a positive attitude leads to a positive outcome. I have sad days, but never negative ones,” she said.

Stone said he was amazed by Abbott’s optimism.

“She has such a great attitude, it’s fantastic. It’s fascinating to see how cheerful and funny you can be in such a bad situation,” he said.

Abbott, for her part, admits that the couple has good days and bad days, “but the good days far outweigh the bad.”

Family members, friends and strangers have also helped them through the ups and downs of their recovery and provided ongoing support – preparing meals, helping them get to doctor’s appointments and constantly checking in for updates.

The Roscoe American Legion Post 801 hosted two fundraisers: Jessica and Tyler’s 80s vs. 90s Throwback Night and a spaghetti dinner to help cover medical expenses.

“The outpouring of love from family and friends has meant a lot to us. The American Legion has raised so much for us and people are helping us so much that we can focus on our recovery,” Abbott said.

“The weekend before the spaghetti dinner was 80s vs. 90s night, and it was so much fun. We were sweating 80s-style, people were wearing tutus and spandex outfits with (floppy) socks, the little girls were dressed so cute. There was a lot of love everywhere, a lot of love. The other day, people brought ramps to our house so we can go back in. People I went to high school with help, and I get cards and letters from people I’ve never met.”

Seven-year-old Seraphina Andrews of Vestaburg is hosting a benefit lemonade stand at Hoods Up Quick Lube in Monongahela on June 29 because she “wanted them to have money so the doctors could help them.”

Together, the couple prepares for a life that is completely different than planned.

Abbott will soon receive a prosthetic leg, and Stone is expected to have his fourth toe amputated as he continues to recover from his leg injury.

“I was a veterinary assistant for a living and I’ve never seen a veterinary assistant with a prosthetic leg. It’s changed my life a lot now. I just want to get my prosthetic and learn to drive again and climb stairs. I don’t know what my future holds, but I know it’s going to be something great,” Abbott said. “I’ve had dreams that I always wanted to achieve, like owning a sandwich shop and other things. I have a new outlook on life. It’s taught me to do what you’re passionate about, do what you want to do, because you don’t know what’s going to happen. You don’t know when you could be out of this place in a moment.”

Both have started physical and occupational therapy and Stone, who now uses a walker, hopes to soon be able to put weight on his leg again.

“I thought I was making good progress until I found out I had to have my other toe amputated. That was pretty tough, but hopefully the rest will heal and I’ll be able to walk again in the next few weeks,” he said. “It’s been tough and life changing, but I’m hoping we can get back to some sort of normality sooner rather than later.”

Abbott has found bright spots since the accident. She has developed a friendship with the man who helped her at the scene and has celebrated the recent birth of his and his girlfriend’s baby. The couple are working on renovating their home, adding a large bathroom and bedroom on the ground floor “so we can be independent and self-sufficient and design the house the way we want.”

Stone is to be appointed as the Legion’s expedition leader.

The couple has not yet set a wedding date.

“This is something to look forward to in the future. We are focused on our recovery,” Abbott said. “It’s scary to a point, but I’m glad I went through this with someone I love. We can heal together.”

Stone agrees.

“I couldn’t imagine doing this with anyone else,” he said. “I don’t care when we get married, as long as I get to spend the rest of my life with her.”