September 27, 2016, was a day Kelly and David Divine will never forget. Their son, Stanton, was hit by a car walking home from a bible study and was being transported to WakeMed Children’s Emergency Department.
Compassionate Care During a Period of Uncertainty
When Kelly and David arrived, they were greeted by Tim Garner, MD, the neurosurgeon who treated Stanton when he arrived at WakeMed. Due to Stanton’s erratic and agitated behavior, he was placed in a medically induced coma. They performed a cat scan (CT) on him, which showed that Stanton had three hemorrhages in his brain.
As bad as the injuries were, Kelly and David were immediately put at ease by Dr. Garner’s positive attitude and caring demeanor. Kelly said:
After the Emergency Department, they moved Stanton up to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), where he had 24-hour service with the most amazing nurses and doctors. They were coming in every hour checking in on us and checking in on Stanton, which was a very comforting thing for us since this was the first time we’ve ever dealt with anything this traumatic to one of our children.
Making the Patient the Priority
After two days, the physicians slowly brought Stanton out of the coma and were able to evaluate him. They determined he had a few broken bones, and a torn ACL, but no other major brain injuries. So after two days in the PICU, he was moved to the Pediatric Unit where he remained for the rest of his hospital stay. Kelly continued:
Stanton received the best care he possible could. They were concerned. They were there. They were present. And I think that speaks a lot to WakeMed, the physicians who work at WakeMed, and the nurses who work at WakeMed.
Returning to Life as Normal
Following discharge, Stanton had countless doctor appointments and evaluations with neuropsychologists, orthopedic surgeons and other specialists, who continued to be impressed by his progress, said Kelly. And thanks to the care he received at WakeMed, he was playing sports again within 6 months.
Regarding the entire experience, David reflected, stating:
Stanton’s recovery was amazing thanks to the overall care and concern from the WakeMed staff. I can’t thank them enough.
About Love Light
WakeMed’s annual Love Light tree lighting ceremony began in 1985 with the generosity of Dr. Bill and Colleen Lee, who donated the first Love Light tree in memory of their son, Matthew William Lee. Today, the annual tree lighting ceremony continues with the ability to make Love Light donations in honor of someone special.
Each year, a family of one of our former pediatric patients is selected to kick off our Love Light tree ceremony. This year, we are honored to have the Divine family light the tree. All of the proceeds earned from the Love Light ceremony directly benefit children’s services at WakeMed.
Learn more about Love Light, and make a donation here.
