SANDPOINT — Hunter Jacobson is showing improvement with each passing day following a serious dirt bike accident on Dec. 2., but the healing and rehabilitation is going to be a long process due to the serious injuries he suffered.

“He is coming along and I think his doctors and the therapists are really happy with his progress,” said Carmen Daugherty, a family friend and mother of Hunter’s best friend, Elijah.

The 14-year-old Sagle teen suffered critical head trauma, a ruptured spleen, 11 broken ribs, a broken collarbone, broken scapula, and a collapsed lung. He was transported immediately to Kootenai Health where his spleen was removed. He was then transferred to Sacred Heart, where they removed the left side of his skull to relieve pressure, as well as a small part of his brain, according to a Go Fund Me page set up for Hunter.

In full, top-of-the-line riding gear, Hunter was riding his dirt bike with a friend in Naples when the accident occurred, Daugherty said. Nobody saw the accident, she said, so it is not clear exactly what happened.

Hunter remained in a coma at Sacred Heart for several weeks, and has since been moved to Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Nebraska.

“He is still in a coma, but it is what they are calling a conscious coma,” Daugherty said. “He has some interaction, where he will smile at people he recognizes.”

According to the latest update on the Go Fund Me page, he also started smiling at videos, as well as when his mom tells him funny things.

To raise money for Hunter’s medical expenses, a fundraiser is set for 5 p.m. Saturday at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. There will be dinner, a live and silent auction, full bar, and live music by Sandpoint’s Miah Kohal Band.

On their Facebook page, Sandpoint Living has been teasing to some of the auction items, including a three-night stay at the Idaho Club, a season pass to Schweitzer Mountain Resort, and a custom-made fly rod.

Tickets are still available and will be available at the door, or purchase them online at bit.ly/2GnjU22. The cost is $15 for a single ticket, or $40 for a family.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.