Hello, my name is Joey.
I was riding a toy scooter to my friend’s house on February 16, 2015, when I was hit by 2 cars the 1st Jeep hit me the cops said dead on dragged me for 20 feet, then I landed on the other side of the road and was saved the Mayor driving by thinking I was trash in the road when the 2 Ned car almost completely ran me over he got out in the middle of the road and got that car to stop after brushing me already this road is 45 mph.
I was coughing when the Mayor called 911 you can hear me by the time air flight arrived I was dead they where calling my time when the Mayor heard he told the flight they were to take me I was just awake. I had no desire to drive so everyone thought I was on a real scooter it was confused in the news report.
I was hanging on to life the Drs gave me 72 hours I was in a coma for exactly a month didn't breathe on my own for almost 3 weeks I was on life support for so long I had a tracheotomy.
I also had fractures in my cheeks, spine, every bone in my skull was also fractured from the C-1 up, my right lung collapsed, I had a huge split in my forehead, I had 3 brain bleeds one on each side and one right next to my brain stem it wasn't looking great.
I also had ruptured my bladder, tore my spleen, shattered my pelvis in 5 places, had a compound fracture of the left femur, broken right ulna, almost a crushed left thigh, and a crushed right foot shattered over 9 fractures they counted.
I've had my skull removed due to pressure and 2 shunts placed along my journey.
My 1st shunt didn't work for long since my body produces over 400cc extra a day and the Drs told me I have negative pressure in my head for a programmable shunt.
I was faced with another brain surgery that wasn't like any other they had to call in a team of Drs just to have plan A and plan B ready during surgery being negative pressure they had to figure out how my stomach and where it could hold not only the fluid but extra fluid I produce this left them plan The general surgeon was going to find the pocket big enough or plan B was the scariest go through the heart. Since I produce this much fluid going in the lung cavity wasn't an option nor was going down my lumbar but thank God they found that pocket.
I went to Brooks Rehabilitation once right after I woke from my coma still broken all over I did the response evaluation for 2 weeks had to be sent home with 24/7 nursing care in a vegetative state. My mom, dad, and cousin Ronnie took turns everyday taking care of my needs.
I started healing at home and woke up at 3 am I was taken back to Brooks Rehabilitation in Jacksonville Florida I also live in Florida. I worked hard at learning how to walk, eat, take meds, and was able to get oriented I left walking out as a level 6-7 on the rancho scale.
I'm back at home in minimal consciousness state seeing my friends and family taking it day by day Dr appt. outpatient rehab and also got back into school has a home bound student doing 1 hour a week of English I love to learn!I don't always like to go to Rehab but I do when I bring my tablet they teach me how to use it.
I'm tired a lot I still need 24-hour care but I still have a sense of humor that gets me by along with my family and younger siblings. My youngest sibling was 5 he had the hardest time adjusting to me we fight a lot but my sister Katie is 13 and I have a lot more understanding so we get along we've always been close.
I'm a survivor I know have many disabilities but I'm learning how to overcome them the best I can so I keep fighting never going to give up!
