What was originally thought to be a mild concussion for 7-year-old Jayden is instead diagnosed as a traumatic brain injury in need of care from our expert neurosurgery team at CHoR.
It seemed like a routine call many parents have gotten before-- Jayden Lockett bumped his head on the school playground, and his teacher called his mom to come pick him up.
“The initial call was not emergent and very routine,” remembered Jayden’s mom Amanda. “However, as we were driving to pick him up the school called back and said they were calling 911 because Jayden was experiencing severe pain and his symptoms were getting worse.”
Jayden goes to school in Stafford, an hour north of Richmond, and an ambulance rushed Jayden to the nearest hospital there. The ER doctor initially thought Jayden had a mild concussion until the C
T scan results came back. Jayden had fractured his skull, which caused an acute epidural hematoma, a life-threatening collection of blood that forms between the skull and the protective membrane covering his brain.
“The ER physician told us that Jayden’s injury was much more serious than a concussion and he would need to be transferred to a hospital with doctors who specialized in pediatric neurosurgery,” explained Amanda.
Life-saving neurosurgery
That hospital arranged helicopter transport for Jayden and his mom to Richmond and they were met on the roof of our Children’s Tower by Dr. Gary Tye, the neurosurgeon who, along with Dr. Ann Ritter, would save Jayden’s life.
“Dr. Tye’s was the first face I saw, the first voice I heard and the absolute right person to be there in that moment,” remembered Amanda. They didn’t get a chance to speak much because Jayden was being rushed into surgery, but afterwards Dr. Tye provided all the reassurance Amanda needed.
“He sat with me and explained everything that had transpired, explained what they did in the surgery, answered my questions and calmed my fears,” remembered Amanda. “It’s amazing how much relief can come from someone offering a hug and saying, “‘It’s going to be okay – we are through the hardest part.’”
Taking care of the entire patient and family
Amanda, who isn’t from Richmond, was not familiar with the hospital systems in the area but is so grateful they were brought here.
“The care our family received at CHoR was beyond exceptional,” explained Amanda. “Not only did CHoR care for Jayden, but they also cared for every member of the family. They offered emotional and spiritual support to us as parents and were patient with our incessant questions.”
And the care extended beyond the patient and his parents.
“The child life specialists were aware that Jayden had a little brother and offered to help prepare him for what Jayden would look like post-surgery, help him understand all that had happened, and how to transition to a new way of playing with him,” Amanda said.
As her son recovered, Amanda says social worker Joe Roberts won Jayden over by making sure he had a blanket in his favorite color and a Lego set to play with.
“I was amazed by how composed his parents were when Jayden first got to the PICU and throughout his admission,” Joe recalled. “It was an incredibly stressful and anxiety-provoking situation, but both his parents stayed poised, engaged and exceedingly friendly the whole time. I'm so glad to hear Jayden and his family are doing well!”
Amanda says this isn’t the first scare she has been through with her “happy, silly boy who loves fiercely, cares deeply, has big feelings and shows more grit and determination than you can imagine.” Jayden was born 7 weeks early, spent 2 weeks in the NICU and has several special needs diagnoses including autism, ADHD, as well as sensory processing disorder and speech and language delay. Despite those challenges, Amanda says Jayden looks at every obstacle as an opportunity for new adventures and is very much looking forward to turning 8 in May.