Real Miracles, Healing Stories
Katie Juker—Trauma Healing Story
Katie Juker was a senior at Twin Falls High School
and the only girl accepted into the small engines and fabrication class. In fact, she had earned
the best welding grade at Twin Falls High that year. She worked part
time at ShopKo and was the secretary of her high school's Future Farmers of America
(FFA) organization.
One cold, dark January morning in Twin Falls, Idaho, Katie left her home to walk to school. Katie was crossing the street in a crosswalk and was hit by a Ford Bronco—bouncing off its windshield and landing 54 feet away. The Bronco was traveling over 30 miles per hour. A bystander dialed 911 and paramedics arrived to find Katie initially unconscious. She wasn't breathing well and the paramedics immediately took her to the Emergency Department at Magic Valley Regional Medical Center.
Within an hour she was transported by Saint Alphonsus Life Flight to the Saint Alphonsus Trauma Center in Boise, Idaho. Within 42 minutes, Katie was on the operating table. Katie had many skull fractures, and during surgery, two blood clots were removed from her brain. Her injuries were so severe she required a 12-day stay in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Katie's neurosurgeon, Tyler Frizzell, M.D. told her parents that he didn't expect her to live. Even though the surgeons had removed the blood clots, Katie's skull fractures could still cause swelling that could press down on her brain.
So Katie's family and friends began a vigil in the ICU waiting room, praying for her safe recovery. George Munajirji, M.D. was Katie's trauma surgeon. While other doctors had discussed giving Katie a tracheotomy and feeding tube, Dr. Munajirji told her mother, “I am not going to do that to this young lady.”
Katie was surviving, but her outcome was unknown. Traumatic brain injury is known to have uncertain, and often grim, outcomes. After 11 days, she had improved and was extubated. She immediately began talking—something many patients do not do. Patients with brain injuries also usually have trouble swallowing, but not Katie. When her mom began to feed her Jell-O, Katie took the spoon out of her hand and shoveled the entire clear liquid diet down. Basically, Katie did her own swallow evaluation because both Mom and the nurse weren't brave enough to take the spoon out of her hand.
Katie was soon transferred out of ICU; spent a couple of days on the neurological floor and then began her rehabilitation program. Food is life for many of us, so imagine how Katie felt losing her sense of smell and taste. Eating had become a chore because Katie had lost her appetite until one day her dad popped popcorn. At that point, her sense of smell started to return. And chocolate was one of the first things she could taste. During her stay, Katie became quite good at making her favorite root beer floats for everyone—doctors, nurses and staff.
Katie was joined by a team of trauma specialists to aid in her care and recovery. Speech therapists challenged Katie with reading news stories. Occupational therapists had her make cookies and do other domestic chores. Other therapists helped her work on the computer or took her out of the hospital to rent movies, although Katie insisted on reading books instead. Katie even helped some of the staff, teaching one therapist ballet positions.
After achieving her goals for rehab, Katie was able to return back home to Twin Falls. "The odds were against me my entire stay at Saint Alphonsus," said Katie. "But I'm very strong. I'm a survivor. I received incredible care and I'm a miracle."
Katie now lives in Georgia with her husband, Tom, who is stationed at Fort Gordon. She is currently attending Augusta State University, working towards a degree in Social Work. Her goal is to one day work with patients and their families who are affected by Traumatic Brain Injury.