WATERLOO - Lewis Allen Spilker's motorcycle helmet looks like it belongs to someone else.

It has no scratches, no dents. Laying at Spilker's bedside, it appears relatively untouched - a stark, gleaming reminder of what its owner went through months before.

Spilker, a salesman at Weber's Cycle Center, was taking some potential buyers on a test drive on Highway 218 in September when something went wrong. He lost control of the bike, hit the guard rail of the bridge and was thrown from his motorcycle. He flew over the bridge, falling 35 feet before hitting the ground. The customers were not injured.

The last thing he remembers is looking over his shoulder. He didn't fully awaken until three and a half weeks later in Iowa City.

"I almost died," said Spilker. "That first night they pulled my wife in to say good-bye because it was possible I was not going to make it."

Spilker and his wife, Katie, were newlyweds at the time. They had been married at Disney World in Florida in August, after dating seven years. They had mere weeks together as a married couple before the accident, but Katie is grateful for the timing.

"We've built a strong relationship since then, and we see each other completely differently now than we would have before the accident," said Katie.

They had scheduled a reception for 350 friends and family for the week after the accident. The reception never happened.

Kelly Smith, Katie's sister, is hoping a benefit she has planned for Saturday at Lofty's Lounge in Evansdale will be a fitting replacement.

"A lot of family members are looking at this as a get-together for that event (the wedding) … because no one was able to come," said Smith. "But it's also because he was able to make it through and he's here tonight."

The family has been overwhelmed by the show of goodwill so far, and are expecting a large turnout at Lofty's.

"The money is great and the money will very much help our lives … but it's not about that for us," said Spilker. "I fully plan on being there and shaking every single person's hand and doing my best to walk across the stage with my walker, stand at the mike and tell every single person there that I love them and I appreciate what they're doing for me."

Spilker broke his tailbone, arm and hand and shattered both legs below the knee. Same with his right ankle. His hips were dislocated from his spine. He spent a total of four months in hospitals. Spilker has endured at least 10 surgeries, said Katie, lasting anywhere from 2 to 14 hours each.

The couple still is dealing with Spilker's injuries on a daily basis. They had to rearrange their home to accommodate his wheelchair, which can't fit into the kitchen. It takes Spilker an hour to take a shower. He is fighting an infection in his leg. The couple travels to Iowa City for continued treatment at least twice a month.

Spilker is able to walk 40 feet at a time with the help of a walker, which is more than doctors thought he would be able to do by now. Spilker requested three therapy sessions a day when most patients in his condition have only one. He still goes to therapy at Covenant Hospital five days a week.

Doctors expect Spilker to be able to walk by himself in six to eight months, but he hopes to do it sooner. Once he's fully recovered, Spilker plans to return to his job at Weber and, more importantly, to ride his motorcycle again.

"I fell off a bridge, flew 40 feet out and 30 feet down and broke everything from the last three vertebrae in my spine to my toes and I don't regret it. I learned to appreciate life and love and family a hundred times over," Spilker said. "I would tell anyone, don't be afraid to take risks and don't be afraid to ride your motorcycle. I don't plan on crashing my motorcycle again, but I also don't plan on not loving my family as much as I do right now."

Contact Kelsey Holm at (319) 291-1464 or kelsey.holm@wcfcourier.com.