Positivity: Teen Walks Out Of Rehab After He Was Given Dim Prospects Of Survival
From Greenfield, NH (video at link):
POSTED: 6:22 pm EDT September 28, 2007
After Matt Pratt, 16, was in a serious accident in July, doctors told his family he likely wouldn’t survive. When he did, doctors thought he wouldn’t walk or talk again. But Friday, he walked out of a rehabilitation center and will spend his first night at home in nearly three months.
“We were very concerned when Matt first came to us,” said Barbara Berwick of Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center.
Matt arrived at Crotched Mountain in a coma, the victim of a car crash in Langdon, N.H., on July 2. He had a broken neck and pelvis, and his arm was shattered. He’d lost his spleen and ruptured his bowel. He also had a serious brain injury.
The crash is still under investigation. Police said Matt was a passenger in a car being driven by his friend. The car went out of control and slammed into a telephone pole, and although Matt was buckled in, he was still ejected.
“If he got through the first few weeks, the next step was what quality of life he would have,” said his mother, Joan Pratt.
Therapists said that it was unclear how well Matt would recover from the brain injury.“With brain injuries, it’s hard to tell what he’s going to gain. How fast they’re going to gain. Everyone has their own timetable for recovery,” Berwick said.
After 30 days in a coma, Matt opened his eyes and came out of the shadows. His family said the care that he received at Crotched Mountain led to his recovery.
“It’s a second home,” said his father, Mike Pratt. “It’s great. It’s like a family atmosphere here.”
Matt’s friend, Caleb Perham, said he never had any doubt that he would see his friend back to his old self.
“Ever since I’ve known Matt, he was real stubborn,” Perham said.
With his parents by his side, Matt went through rigorous rehabilitation.
“I beat the odds,” Matt said.
His parents have to help him stand, but Matt can walk and talk. He said that the people at Crotched Mountain worked hard to bring him back.
Go here for the rest of the story.
