Brittany's Story: Pediatric Spinal Cord Injury

In November 2008, Brittany and her family were moving from College Station to Katy. During the trip they had an accident on a two-lane road. Brittany, 11, a competitive dancer and pageant queen, hit the roof of the van and sustained a T5 spinal cord injury, several broken bones, a collapsed lung and other internal injuries.

She was rushed to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center by Memorial Hermann Life Flight^® helicopter, but the doctors there did not have good news for the family. They didn't think Brittany would live and, if she did, they did not think she would ever walk again. Brittany spent the next three weeks in the Pediatric ICU at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital. Following spine and wrist surgeries there, she traveled to Chicago for several months of spinal cord therapy.

Brittany started outpatient therapy at TIRR Memorial Hermann Pediatric Rehabilitation at the Kirby Glen Center in February 2009. Her physical therapist said, "She is an amazing little girl who is very determined. Her energy is truly contagious and this has everything to do with all her success." Brittany set her own goals to compete in dance and get back into pageants. And after several months of therapy at TIRR Memorial Hermann, she started walking, placed in her dancing competition and competed in a pageant.