Hospital District Celebrates Survivors

Day after day, staff at Harris-Ben Taub General Hospital and Harris-Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital work vigorously to save the lives of trauma patients.

In recognition of these trauma survivors, the Harris County Hospital District hosted its second Trauma Survivors’ Thanksgiving Luncheon Nov. 21 at the Texas Medical Center’s Edwin Hornberger Conference Center.

The hospital district initiated the event to acknowledge trauma survivors for their recovery from devastating circumstances. The luncheon gives past and recent trauma victims an opportunity to tell their stories and thank the medical team who helped them achieve recovery.

"Trauma Survivors’ Day is a unique showcase event of survivors we’re proud to see living among us today. It’s an opportunity for significant stories to be retold as a reminder of the value people like our survivors are to the community," said John A. Guest, president and CEO of the hospital district. "They are truly amazing stories and their recovery is what our staff wants to celebrate."

Last year, Harris-Ben Taub and Harris-LBJ Hospitals treated more than 185,000 emergency cases, making them two of the busiest trauma centers in Southeast Texas.

Among the recent trauma survivors is 35-year-old Houston Police Department officer Enrique Duharte-Tur, who was in critical condition when he arrived at Harris-Ben Taub on May 22, after an altercation with a drug suspect. The suspect shot Duharte-tur four times. He is now attending rehabilitation three times a week and enjoying his newborn baby boy.

Derek Larson’s miraculous recovery surprised the hospital district’s medical staff. While riding his motorcycle at 65 miles per hour on July 6, he crashed head-on into the back of a car. Larson spent seven days in critical condition. Harris-Ben Taub doctors reconstructed his ankles and put metal plates in his arms. Today, Larson enjoys golfing, swimming, weight training, and jogging in Memorial Park.

Harris-LBJ traditionally receives less severe trauma accidents, but when 12-year-old Kenneth Benjamin was transported to Harris-LBJ after being hit by a motorist in front of his house, the medical staff treated him with the same urgency and response as any severe trauma patient. Benjamin’s leg was broken in three places, but thanks to his medical team, he now is a tailback on the Sheldon Intermediate School football team.

One of the most remarkable trauma survivors from last year’s event is 7-year-old Destiny Lopez. On Oct. 26, Lopez was accidentally pierced in the heart with a pencil while at school. Following the accident, the hospital district and the Houston community opened its arms to the Lopez family during Destiny’s journey to recovery.

Barbara Davis was treated at Harris-Ben Taub in 1996 after a high-speed collision caused by a drunk driver killed her husband and a dear friend. Davis suffered ghastly injuries and has had numerous surgeries, and today is an outspoken advocate for victims’ rights. She champions for tougher laws regarding drunk-driving enforcement and severe punishment for violators.

"I’m excited to see patients who I haven’t seen in months," said registered nurse Joni Spilman, trauma outcomes manager at Harris-Ben Taub. "Officer Duharte-Tur and his family became very important to me during his stay at Harris-Ben Taub. I’m happy to see him as a strong man again, as well as others."

Other attendees included:

Claudio Dominguez and his wife Esmeralda, who will never forget what happened Sept. 11, 1999. The Dominguez family ventured onto Beechnut and South Gessner Streets while walking to a local restaurant for dinner. A motorist lost control of his car and ran over the entire family of six. The couple’s oldest son died, while the other three survived with severe injuries. Esmeralda’s leg had to be amputated. Today, the Dominguez family is in good health.

Tracy Lynn Deel was shot multiple times at close range and left for dead on Thanksgiving weekend 1999. Deel pretended to be dead until her assailant left. With perseverance, she crawled the length of a football field for help. She was taken to Harris-Ben Taub in critical condition.

Twenty-one-year-old Vicente Rosas arrived at Harris-Ben Taub in 1995 with a gunshot wound to his back. After an extended stay in the hospital, Rosas’ injuries left him partially paralyzed from the waist down. He was told numerous times that he would never walk again, but his prognosis began to change. He started a rehabilitation program and within a few months, Rosas was walking. Today, he is attending the University of Oklahoma.

Alec Bernhardt, 5, and his mother sustained injuries during a car accident in March 2000. Doctors discovered a small bleed in Alec’s head and his prognosis was grim. Today, the little boy is well and living a healthy life.

Louis Rubio, 21, drove himself to Harris-LBJ after he was carjacked July 26. Rubio was in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the chest. He too, is doing well.

"This event gives us hope, a sense of accomplishment, and the will to stay the course to continue to provide excellent trauma care to patients and families," said Spilman.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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