A North Okanagan family known for its cheese is being supported by friends, family, and strangers following a motorcycle accident involving their oldest child.

Josiah Wohlgemuth was heading to work at his family's business, Triple Island Cheese, near Cherryville on the morning of Monday, Oct. 14, when he was involved in an accident.

Wohlgemuth suffered head trauma when impacting the ground, and sustained further injuries to his head when his helmet flew off during the accident. He was hit again without the protection of his helmet, 

Josiah was airlifted to Kelowna General Hospital, then later airlifted to the ICU at Vancouver Childrens Hospital. His parents, Luetta and Rodger, are with him in Vancouver now, and his three younger siblings are being cared for by friends and family.

He has not regained consciousness since the accident.

"Rodger and Luetta Wohlgemuth are the owners of Triple Island Cheese, which originated in Cherryville and is now made in their facility in Armstrong," said Rachelle Zelaney, who has organized a on behalf of the Wohlgemuths. 

"Their family have been vendors at the Vernon and Kelowna Farmers' Markets since they purchased the business a few years ago. As a local small business employing their teenage sons, they will now, understandably, need to cease operations while they tend to Josiah's injuries and recovery.

"With the associated costs of staying away from home, travelling back and forth to be with their younger children and the stressors of Josiah's brain injury, we would like to help lessen the financial burden."

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Both Rodger and Luetta took to social media Monday to update the community.

"We ended up in Vancouver and we are hoping for a full recovery," said Luetta. "There was some bleeding in his brain. No broken bones. And no surgery needed. Very thankful to all of the professionals who helped us on this Thanksgiving Day."

Added Rodger: "If he hadn't had a helmet, it might have been a hearse instead of an ambulance."