Levi's Story
A traumatic accident
Twenty-year-old Levi Wallace built his life around his love of cars and motorcycles. When he wasn’t working as a car inspection technician, he reveled in riding his motorcycle, driving his 90s Lexus, or hanging out at a car show with friends. The Heath, Ohio, resident never imagined that a motorcycle accident would leave him critically injured and fighting to recover.
Levi and his brother were riding home on a Saturday afternoon following a visit with their mom and stepfather. Levi lost control of his motorcycle and crashed, leaving him severely injured and unresponsive. His brother immediately called 911.
Emergency interventions
Levi was rushed to Mount Carmel East in Columbus where the trauma team inserted a breathing tube down his throat to support breathing. He was immediately taken into surgery to address a collapsed lung and ruptured spleen. Multiple additional surgeries followed over the next few days to reset a broken pelvis and femur as well as bone breaks in his scapula, sternum, clavicle, humorous, elbow and seven ribs. The crash also fractured three vertebrae in his back. His right leg was so badly broken that a traction pin was used to stabilize his bone and doctors had to perform a surgical cut through the connective tissue of the leg, called a fasciotomy, to relieve high pressure due to swelling and restore blood flow to prevent limb loss.
After four weeks, Levi had stabilized, but was still unable to breathe on his own. His doctors created a surgical opening in his windpipe, called a tracheostomy, which connected to the ventilator for breathing support. Doctors recommended more medical care and healing time and suggested he transfer to Select Specialty Hospital – Columbus Victorian Village. Upon arrival, a physician-led multidisciplinary team assessed and developed a personalized treatment plan to help him recover and regain his independence.
Critical illness recovery
Under the guidance of a pulmonologist, the respiratory therapy team began breathing trials. They dialed back his ventilator support for short periods letting Levi’s lungs take over, gradually increasing their capacity and strength.
Each day, his breathing improved and within four days Levi was freed from the ventilator. Breathing without the machine energized Levi and lightened his spirits as did being able to talk to family and friends who visited.
“After being able to breathe on my own and talk again, my main goal was to heal up and go to physical therapy so I could get back to my normal life and drive again,” Levi said.
At the same time, Levi’s speech-language pathologist guided him purposeful swallowing and tongue positioning exercises to strengthen his throat muscles so he could eat again. Nine days after he arrived, a special study confirmed he could safely swallow, and he began a diet of thin liquids and soft foods. After 23 days, Levi reached another milestone when he returned to a regular diet. Three weeks later, his feeding tube was removed.
Levi’s physical and occupational therapy teams played an important role in rebuilding his strength, range of motion and balance. Because Levi was unable to bear weight on his legs, physical therapy started with bed mobility and sitting balance, slowly building Levi’s strength and endurance. When he moved his left leg for the first time during a therapy session, the team let out a collective cheer celebrating Levi’s big accomplishment.
By the last week of his stay, Levi’s hard work was paying big dividends. His therapists used a tilt table, which positioned him from a flat positioning to a standing position while providing support. The table is used with patients to improve blood pressure regulation and help build weight-bearing capability. Levi’s gains in upper body strength also allowed him to propel himself forward in a wheelchair for the first time – another milestone. Occupational therapy also played a crucial role in his recovery. When Levi first arrived, he needed help to do anything from bathing, to dressing and grooming. Occupational therapists worked with him every day on stretching and coordination tasks using his arms. This work would eventually allow Levi to do things independently like combing his own hair, brushing his teeth, and using utensils to eat.
On the road home
Seven weeks after he arrived at Select Specialty Hospital, Levi could breathe, talk, eat, move his left leg, sit up on his own and use a wheelchair. With these major milestones behind him, he was ready to transfer to an inpatient rehabilitation hospital to continue working toward his goal of walking again and returning to his mom’s house where he could reconnect with family and his two pet cats.
Levi called his hospital stay a “very good experience.” He credited the nurses who talked with him when he felt alone for lifting his spirits when he needed it most. Daily visits from his parents, brother and friends also buoyed him – that along with his favorite foods and games.
“If you’re able to have your family close to you, do it!” Levi said, speaking to others facing similar health challenges. “It helped me immensely.”