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Patient's Voice

It was during the first lap of a motorcycle race in Plainfield when it all went wrong for Devin Frederick, a 17-year-old amateur dirt bike racer from Maine. A 75-foot triple jump in the super-cross section resulted in injuries that would change his life.

"He's had a few injuries in the past. He's broken both his wrists at different times and his collarbone, but this was at a whole different level," said Laurie Frederick,Devin's mom. "I was relieved there was a trauma center only a short distance away. Everybody in the hospital was great."

The competition was at Central Cycle Club on Sept. 17. Devin was brought to the Emergency Department at Backus Hospital. What was first thought to be an isolated orthopedic injury quickly turned into a multiple trauma case. He had a broken and dislocated hip, a broken arm, bruised lung, broken ribs and a compressed fracture in his spine.

Backus' multi-disciplinary team had the experience and expertise needed to handle injuries of this magnitude.

Over the course of his nine days at Backus, he was treated by Tom Bell,MD, a trauma surgeon, two orthopedic surgeons,Michael Halperin,MD, and Daniel Glenney,MD, and spent time in the Critical Care Unit and A-4, places where staff displayed the compassion and comfort that can so often make a difference for families involved in traumatic events.

"The nurses were fantastic. They were very helpful and kept Devin comfortable," Mrs. Frederick said. "We were very pleased with the care."

Once he safely returned home to Maine, he started the long road to recovery.

"I'll be in a wheelchair for about two months before I can try crutches, because my hip and my arm are both nonweight bearing,"Devin said at the time. ÒBecause it's my right hip and my left arm I can't even try a walker or anything. I just have to wait until it's healed."

Medical personnel say that Devin may never be able to race again, but he hasn't given up hope, partly because of the care he received at Backus.