Last summer, a day of surfing with friends ended in a devastating spinal cord injury for Marcos Ornellas, who was pulled from the water unable to feel his body below the neck. He was flown to our level I trauma center in Oakland, where Dr. Peter Sun and his team planned surgery to save the young athlete's mobility. Their front spine access approach aimed to optimize mobility and recovery for the young athlete, leveraging the center's resources and expertise for a successful operation. "Being at a trauma center really helped with his care," Dr. Sun says. "Level 1 means that the trauma surgeons are in the hospital." After nine months of challenging physical therapy, Marcos is resuming activities he loves. He continues to make strides in his recovery, but the former high school soccer star who aimed for a college scholarship is beginning to contemplate plan B. "My priorities have changed now," he explains. "Family, friends and my college education are what is important to me now... This could have turned out very differently, and I'm so grateful to be where I am now." Read about Marcos and how the trauma team got him through: https://ucsfh.org/4evWcRM
Dr. Sun and team…..you are the best. Congratulations to Marcos on his incredible effort and recovery.
Dede Berger
2w
How quickly things can change. This story has a great ending thanks to this young man's determination and positive attitude and the great trauma staff. Thank you for sharing!
Physical Therapist, Instructor and Facilitator of Applied Compassion, Disability Justice Advocate
6dShout to his hard work in 9 months of Physical Therapy!