What Happened to Jennifer

When the crashing and spinning and the shriek of tires stopped, Robin Katz was so disoriented that she didn't quite realize what had happened. Then she heard moans, and she hazily realized that there had been an accident. And two of her children, Jennifer and Corey, were seatbelted in the back of the minivan!

Despite her own injuries, Robin's first thoughts were of her children. In spite of the seatbelts, nine-year-old Corey's faced was bruised and ten-year-old Jennifer complained that her stomach hurt. Some of the severely injured were immediately sent to Bridgeport Hospital; the Katzes' injuries seemed less urgent, so they were initially sent to another hospital.

But what happened to Jennifer in that accident was much worse than it looked. Jennifer - and her brother Corey - were transferred to the Level I (highest level) Trauma Center at Bridgeport Hospital for its pediatrics specialists after assessment by Bridgeport Hospital's Paul Possenti, clinical coordinator of Trauma/Surgical Critical Care. He knew that the other victims of the accident were severely injured and from experience he suspected that her injuries were critical as well.

Once at Bridgeport Hospital, Jennifer was soon operated on by surgeon Michael Ivy, MD, who performed an unusual and critical operation involving the creation of a new bile duct out of intestinal tissue. Jennifer spent 59 days in the pediatric intensive care unit and in a room in the P.T. Barnum Pediatrics Center before she was ready to return home.

Now Jennifer is gaining weight and recovering rapidly. "I cannot speak highly enough of the care Jennifer (and her brother Corey) received at Bridgeport Hospital. Everyone was so special and caring, from the trauma specialists to nurses and physicians," says Robin Katz.

"Terrible though the experience was, I am certain of two things. Bridgeport Hospital is the very best place to be if you need hospital care in an emergency. And seatbelts save lives. They may contribute to some injury, but without them, I know my children's injuries would have been much, much worse."