Serious car crash impacts family in more ways than one

Shannon Kerr was driving, with her two girls secured in the back seat. They were on their way to get a puppy. It was a beautiful sunny day but for a moment, the sunshine was so intense that Shannon couldn’t see the road and she missed a stop sign. Upon crossing the intersection her car was struck by a semi-truck.

From the moment of impact to 12 weeks later, Shannon was in critical condition from her injuries and in a deep coma. Her two girls were also hospitalized for a few weeks.

Fortunately for Shannon and her daughters, they were immediately taken to Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), a Level I Adult and Level I Pediatric Trauma Center. At HCMC, Shannon’s husband Jason was met by the trauma team in the emergency department. That’s when he met Dr. Uzma Samadani, who strongly recommended surgery to remove part of Shannon’s skull in order to relieve the swelling. This proved to be essential in saving her life.

“Shannon and her two daughters were evaluated by the trauma service after a devastating crash that appeared to be potentially fatal based on their appearances upon admission,” explains Dr. Samadani. “Shannon was by far the most critical of the three and we used nearly every possible neurosurgical and neurocritical care strategy to get her through her brain injury,” said Dr. Samadani.

“Shannon proved to be an extraordinarily resilient person and has had a tremendous and remarkable recovery. The support of her family and friends in impacting her outcome cannot be understated – they literally willed her to get better, and she did!” said Dr. Samadani.

Thanks to HCMC’s excellent care, Shannon and her family are well on their way to recovery.

“An accident like this could very well be the worst day of your life. It’s devastating for everyone involved. Our goal is to get them back to what they can do,” said Dr. Samadani.

Dr. Uzma Samadani, who serves on the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurosurgeons Executive Committee on Neurotrauma and Critical Care, is a firm believer in the committee’s guidelines for treating patients with traumatic brain injuries.