Hi, My name is Sheila and I am the Mother of a 12 year old son who recieved a TBI on Oct 29th 2001 What started off as a normal day for us, turned out to be a day we as a family will never forget.I was at work for a local ambulance service as an EMT-I.about 6:30 I recieved a page from my Ex-Husbands number, since I was at a hospital in a town about 30 minutes from my home and the call would be long distanse I decided to wait untill I got back to town to call. I just thought it was my boys wanting to talk, within about 15 minutes I recived another page this one was a 911 page.Well my ex-huband has never paged me 911 and my kids know not to unless it is really an emergencyI knew at this time something was very wrong.I stopped at my parteners house to use the phone,My ex-husband told me our son had fell from his skateboard and hit his headI asked the normal questions, not likeing the answers I was getting I told him I was sending an ambulance to get him, he said no I will bring him my self. I told him no that a head injury is very serious and it would be best to let him come in by ambulance.He then assured me Shay was ok and he would bring him, I once again said no to be on the safe side the ambulance would be best this time he agreedI went to the ER to await their arrival and to advise the ER staff of what they had comming in.Well I never thought this was anything other then a concussion.I was waitng in the ER when the ambulance came on the radio to give their report to the ER, the sound of the siren was enough to let me know my son was serious.where I come from the lights and siren aren't used unless it is life or death.The report was worst, unresponive, uneaqual pupils, A very high b/p, low heart rate and a high resp. rate all signs of a very serious head Injury.At this point my world fell apart, I've seen alot of head injurys but this one was my baby.He was in very serious cond. he was combative and had to be intubated due to he resp. rate.A CT of the head showed a massive bleed to the left side of the head.He was Life flighted to a near by hospital and underwent a 4 hour surgthe Drs. said we would not know much untill he woke up.Unable to tell us when that would be he was taken to PICU.That was the longest night of my life to see my sweet baby so still and hooked up to so much stuff untill I couldn't see anything but his eyes.The next morning we were able to go see himWe were told he opened his eyes but they didn't know if he was alert.I ask him to open his eyes which he did after a little bit.He was still under strong meds to keep him still.He opened his eyes and I ask if he knew who I was and he nodded his headI ask him to tell me and as best he could with all the tubes, he mouthed MOM.Well anyone who's been there knows the feeling I had, I knew at that point we could handle anything else as long as he knew who I was. He had 55 staples in his head and was in PICU for 5 days and a reg. room for another 5.He has been fine from the beginingNo brain damage, left vocla cord is parlyzed but his does ok and he voice is getting better, it makes it a little hard to eat because there is a chance of food or dring going down his wind pipe but he does good.we have some have some things to overcome but he is one if the lucky ones, some don't recover so wellWe will get him through this no matter what it takes.He has a short temper and he recall isn't too good but we will make it. Just remember Helment will saves your child life or a very serious Injusry.Thanks

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