Stories of accident survivors shared
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Two Fayette County residents were recently recognized at West Virginia University’s Erickson Alumni Center, where their stories of surviving horrific accidents were shared.
It was the second year WVU Health Care’s Jon Michael Moore Trauma Center celebrated the hard work of all the people who comprise the trauma system — from emergency first-responders to physicians and nurses to rehabilitation staff — with its Night of Recognition on Oct. 20. More than 90 awards were presented.
“Trauma is one of those fields where it takes a variety of specialized health-care providers each providing their expertise to bring patients from injury through recovery,” said Dr. Alison Wilson, director of the trauma center. “This event allows us to thank all the people who help us do what we do.”
Graham Sterling, 10, of Masontown was injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident. Sterling and his brother Ben were enjoying an ATV ride with their grandfather seven months ago when the ATV suddenly flipped and Sterling became a victim of what was an innocent joyride.
What should have been a day of bonding between grandfather and grandsons turned into a nightmare as Sterling was pinned beneath the ATV.
Emergency medical personnel crews quickly arrived on the scene to assist Sterling. The crews installed a breathing tube and Sterling was flown to WVU’s trauma center.
Sterling’s injuries included a collapsed lung, a broken collarbone, a shattered jaw and other broken facial bones. A tube was also placed in Sterling’s chest for his collapsed lung.
After five days, surgeons were able to move the breathing tube from Sterling’s mouth to his nose so they could repair his jaw.
After seven days, Sterling’s family got to see him awake and alert, although his jaw was wired shut. Sterling was able to use a writing board to communicate with his family and doctors.
Graham left the hospital after only two weeks.
Wesley Dennis, 57, of Markleysburg is the other Fayette County survivor.
In August 2009, Dennis was five miles from his home when his vehicle was struck broadside at an intersection.
His injuries included several broken bones in both legs, a broken back, nine broken ribs, both lungs were punctured and his chest was crushed against the steering wheel.
What was worse, his heart stopped. Dennis was clinically dead for 17 minutes while cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed.
He was flown to the WVU trauma center, where he could have been hospitalized for several months, but Dennis was able to return home after three weeks.
The story of a third person, Chris Redelman, 21, of Fairmont, W.Va., also was shared. He was injured in a car accident.
The Jon Michael Moore Trauma Center was created in the 1980s with the assistance and support of the late U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd and is named for his grandson, who died as a result of an automobile crash. Each year, the trauma center treats more than 3,000 patients from all over West Virginia, as well as those from Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland.