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Christopher and his cousin were cruising on their skateboards through the neighborhood.
Christopher had neglected to put on his helmet, but they were just going a few blocks. After all, it wasn’t very far.
Suddenly Christopher’s board bounced against the curb and his head hit the pavement. Everything was a blur…he was bleeding, but was also fading in and out of consciousness. A neighbor came running; he had heard the deadly sound of Christopher’s head against the pavement. While the cousin ran to get Christopher’s father, the neighbor called 911.
When the ambulance arrived, the paramedic told the Kaleels that the injury appeared very serious. Christopher was rushed to the emergency room at Baptist South. Here he was examined and an MRI was performed. It was decided that Christopher needed to be transported to Wolfson Children’s Hospital. His head injury required an examination by a pediatric neurologist; he might even need a pediatric neurosurgeon. The fastest and safest way to transport him was by helicopter. Life Flight was contacted and it arrived within minutes.
Once Christopher was on board, his parents headed north on I-95 toward Wolfson with Life Flight flying above. The memory of that frightening drive with the shadow of Life Flight overhead remains a permanent part of their memory.
The helicopter landed on the roof of Baptist and within minutes, Christopher was in the Wolfson’s Children’s Emergency Center. The doctors, including the pediatric neurologist, were waiting for him. Their assessment and prognosis was better than the news the Kaleels had originally heard. The bleeding had subsided, and Christopher was conscious. He was admitted to Wolfson’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and put on 24-hour observation.
Released the next day, he headed home with a new understanding of the importance of protective gear. Christopher is still an avid skateboarder, but now he always wears his helmet! That helicopter ride was quite an experience, but Christopher says, “Once in a lifetime is enough”!!
As Wolfson celebrates its 55th birthday, Life Flight, Jacksonville's first emergency air ambulance, will also celebrate a birthday. For 30 years, Life Flight has provided rapid air transport of critically ill and injured patients. It is a self-contained critical care unit with equipment for advanced life support and offers advance medical treatment for an entire spectrum of medical emergencies. The helicopter is available 24 hours a day for patients within a 150-mile radius of Wolfson Children’s Hospital. |
