Demario, a bright, enthusiastic eighth grader with a great sense of humor, loves to play basketball and is a point guard on his Middle School team. Demario is a straight A student and loves school, but summer is his favorite time of year. This past summer turned out to be a little different than others: it would be the summer his life would change forever.

On a sunny June day, 13-year-old Demario woke up in the morning, optimistic and ready to attend a birthday celebration. Demario did what everyone does – he went outside and started crossing the street. However, he would never get to the other side. In that moment, Demario was hit by
a car.

The driver stopped to assist Demario. Demario was left lifeless - he wasn’t breathing and he couldn’t speak, walk or even move. Demario’s friend, Francisco was with him and called for help.

The ambulance arrived and urgently shuttled Demario to Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach. Miller Children’s is one of only eight free-standing children’s hospitals in California and has a pediatric trauma center and pediatric specialist and intensivists in-house 24/7. Demario had a Glasgow Coma Score of 3 - no eye movements no sounds and no body movement. It is the most severe coma score, a deep coma.

Demario required neurosurgery for a frontal brain fracture, bleeding and severe brain injury. At that time, a ventricular shunt was placed in his brain. He also had severe injuries to his hips and shoulders/clavicle.

The surgery was a success, but all Demario’s family could do was wait. After a week went by, Demario needed a feeding tube. While Demario wasn’t eating on his own, the good news was he began breathing on his own. Months went by in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at
Miller Children’s with no responses from Demario, except for his breathing on his own. He couldn’t speak and couldn’t eat.

After two and half months of being hooked up to machines that helped sustain his life, Demario’s family and care team were surprised by a major turn in his condition.

One day, Demario began to speak. He then slowly started to regain his vigor and his old personality back. His father’s world became fuller with each day his son gradually improved, slowly gaining strength both physically and mentally. Demario started intensive rehabilitation therapy six days a week while he was at Miller Children’s, which helped him with physical movement, as well as with his speech.

Demario wouldn’t have survived had it not been for the expert care he received at the
Miller Children’s PICU, which is recognized for its state-of-the-art therapies in head traumas. The PICU cares for the most serious pediatric cases admitted from Miller Children’s Emergency Department (ED), the region’s only county-designated Pediatric ED and Trauma Center.

Demario was able to leave the hospital just four months after the accident. His care team and family were delighted and astounded by his recovery. Demario left the hospital in a wheelchair, but had much of his old personality back - speaking, laughing and ready to hit the books to
be homeschooled.

With strong support and prayers from his father, family and friends and [the efforts of] his care team at Miller Children’s, Demario is currently working hard to return to school. Demario is working through cognitive impairments resulting from brain injury. Part of his social filter was lost from the brain injury and a hurdle he now faces is to re-learn the social skills he needs to communicate effectively. He attends speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy at Miller Children’s Pediatric Rehabilitation Outpatient Satellite.

Demario wears a bright smile, makes astute observations and has a keen ability to make everyone laugh. “I’m working on my assists,” says Demario as he motions shooting a basketball. Luckily, Demario still has plenty of time on the shot clock.