David's Story
David Heineman, 30, a father and foundation worker, doesn’t remember his car colliding with a tractor trailer, critically injuring him.
His mother recalls driving by the accident but didn’t know first responders were working to save her son.
David, of Barnhart, Missouri, was intubated and connected to a ventilator at the scene and rushed to Mercy Hospital South in acute respiratory failure. He had a subdural hematoma that caused blood to pool between his brain and skull.
For several weeks, he remained unresponsive, unable to breathe, talk, eat or move on his own.
Knowing he’d eventually need specialized care to recover, David’s mom toured every critical illness recovery hospital in Missouri before deciding on Select Specialty Hospital – Town and Country. She attributed her decision to the positive energy she felt upon entering the hospital and seeing the staff actively engaging with patients.
Twenty-two days after his accident, when he was medically stable but still far from recovered, David transferred to Select Specialty Hospital. Because of his brain injury, David had balance and cognitive deficiencies; he struggled to focus, process information and recognize people and objects around him.
He and his family’s goal for him was to begin his path to recovery – to no longer need the tracheostomy tube that helped him breathe or the feeding tube that provided his nutrition. A physician-led interdisciplinary team worked together on a personalized plan to help him reach his goals.
When David arrived at Select Specialty Hospital, he struggled to recognize people, including his family, and to follow basic instructions. Respiratory therapists immediately began breathing trials and David demonstrated within days that his lungs were functioning again. His first milestone came 10 days after admission when his tracheostomy tube was removed.
The same day, David underwent a special study to determine if he could swallow food without aspirating. He was slowly able to start eating again, starting with soft foods and thick liquids and within a week, progressing to a normal diet. He no longer needed his feeding tube.
He daily participated in activities to improve his memory and understanding, such as answering questions about his family or completing tasks with directions that involved shapes, numbers and words. A turning point for David was when he started recognizing his family again. Through this experience, he realized how much he valued spending time with them and the extent of their love for him.
From admission, therapists worked with David in his room on exercises to improve his strength, range of motion and balance. As he progressed, he was able to go to the hospital gym, where he focused on walking. David initially was so unsteady on his feet that when he first began walking again, he needed staff on both sides of him and another following him with a wheelchair as he made his way with a walker. By the time he discharged, David could walk 290 feet with minimal assistance.
Nearly one month after his admission, David was breathing, eating and walking. His thinking and memory significantly improved. He transferred to an inpatient rehabilitation hospital to continue his recovery.
One step closer to going home and spending time with his 6-year-old daughter, he thanked the Select Specialty Hospital staff for their dedication and encouraged his fellow patients not to give up on themselves.
“Give yourself a chance to see how much you will get better,” he said.