Peter Flynn is a Catholic ministries community volunteer and an incredibly talented hobby craftsman with skills that’d make any honey-do list a cinch.

“I’ve done a lot of home improvement projects for my wife and daughters over the years. Just a few outdoor projects include installing a lawn watering system, landscaping a garden and replacing three large decks. Inside, I’ve installed a fireplace, built a shiplap wood wall, constructed a kitchen, installed and designed an attic, laid new flooring and most recently, I was building a screened-in porch for my wife and I to enjoy.”

June 26, 2021 was a very hot and humid day in North Carolina, and 68-year-old Peter was standing on an extension ladder building their screened-in porch. While about 12 feet in the air, he suddenly passed out and began to free fall head first to the cement patio below.

Peter’s wife, Shirley, says, “I was shocked and hurried over to break his fall, but he landed on the ground, bleeding profusely from his mouth and nose. I called 911. I then texted my neighbors, ‘Help! Peter fell!’ Peter was non-responsive, and I feared he was dead, but within three or four minutes, he began to try to get up. The 911 dispatcher kept telling me not to let him sit up, but I was having a hard time controlling him.”

While they awaited the arrival of Emergency Medical Services (EMS), the neighbors helped keep Peter on the ground.

Soon, EMS arrived. The ambulance workers strapped Peter to a gurney as he fought to get up. Firemen assessed the accident with Shirley and helped clean up the backyard.

“Not understanding what had happened, Peter was very combative. I was at least glad he was fighting for his life,” says Shirley.

EMS whisked Peter off to WakeMed Raleigh Campus, just 10 minutes away. Shirley’s neighbors offered her a ride, so she got in their vehicle, and they trailed behind the ambulance.

Shirley says, “I called my daughter, Brianna, who was in the Outer Banks with her husband enjoying their beach house. I also called my daughter, Shannon, who lives in Charlotte and had her hands full with two little ones. Brianna and her husband rushed back to Raleigh while Shannon had to figure out arrangements for the kids.”

The WakeMed Trauma Team Steps Into Action

Upon arrival to the WakeMed Raleigh Campus Emergency Department, the Trauma team got to work assessing Peter’s condition. By then, he’d been sedated and was taken to Imaging to determine the extent of his injuries. Peter received CT scans, an x-ray of his chest and pelvis, an MRI as well as other tests.

He was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and facial and foot fractures.

Peter says, “I did not regain consciousness for over a week and was on a ventilator the entire time. The neuro team reviewed the CT scan to determine a treatment plan for my TBI. The MRI revealed brain activity and gave hope I’d wake up in a couple of days, but it didn’t happen that quickly. On the ninth day — the day I was scheduled to have surgery to insert a gastric feeding tube — I finally woke up.”

Peter did not require surgery for his injuries. Instead, he received round-the-clock monitoring as the team waited for the swelling to go down on his brain. He was also fitted with a boot to set his foot, so the fracture would heal properly. He received neuro ICU care for the first six days and was transferred to a step down critical care unit for the next couple of weeks.

WakeMed Rehab Makes a 40th Wedding Anniversary One for the Books

July 11 while still “waking up,” Peter and his wife celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. Peter was not fully cognizant of what was happening, but his wife and daughters tried to make it a special day for him.

Shirley says, “We did our best, but the circumstances weren’t ideal. We have plans for a do-over for our 41st wedding anniversary. No firm plans yet, but we are most grateful for his recovery.”

Despite the challenges of spending their anniversary in the hospital, they experienced a great deal of loving support. Peter’s wife and daughters remained by Peter’s side keeping extended family as well those from his many years of ministry and friendship updated on his status. Prayers and well wishes for Peter were received from places as far reaching as California, Texas and even his birth country, Argentina. These prayers and the family’s trust in the WakeMed care teams provided them encouragement during this difficult time.

Then wonderful news came for the family when just five days after their anniversary, on July 16, 2021, Peter was well enough to become an inpatient in the WakeMed Raleigh Campus Rehabilitation Hospital. He received physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy for between 3.5 and 4.5 hours per day and remained there until August 6, 2021.

Peter says, “When I went into rehab, I was not able to stand and move without assistance. I had difficulty communicating due to aphasia. I was unable to eat solid food, due to broken facial bones below one eye. Yet, the break healed before release and harder food was finally allowed. I had also lost the use of my right hand.”

By the time Peter left rehab, he was using a walker only, thanks to Priti the physical therapist.

“I had a broken bone in one foot. Priti obtained approval from Wake Ortho to remove my “wood” shoe, so she could teach me to walk better and more directly. It was a success!”

Occupational therapist, Cassie, helped him learn how to take care of his daily needs, such as showering independently.

Gratitude for a Team that Cared

Peter says, “On my release date from the Rehabilitation Hospital, I was given a tee shirt that said ‘Celebrating MY Independence DAY.’

“I have so many additional people to thank for the care I received that allowed me to head home. A few of those folks include my speech therapists, Jen, Julia, Melissa, Amy, Amanda, Dawn and Haley.”

A major part of Peter’s recovery came from the support system he’d developed at the Rehabilitation Hospital. The loss of this support was of great concern to Peter and Shirley.

Shirley says, “We can’t say enough good things about our experience. For such a horrible ordeal to go through, they made it special. We got to know the people there. From the time we arrived until we left, everyone was amazing, phenomenal, just outstanding. We knew we would miss them and even went back at the end of 2021 to give out Christmas presents.”

WakeMed’s Day Treatment Therapy Program Offers Exceptional Care

Once Peter left the Rehabilitation Hospital, he was assured of ongoing support at the day treatment program — within the same facility, where a multidisciplinary team of therapists helped with his continued recovery at the Outpatient Rehabilitation — Raleigh Campus.

Peter and Shirley were thrilled. They would continue to at least see in passing the inpatient team who’d helped with one of the toughest parts of Peter’s journey to wellness. The couple took advantage of the proximity, cheerfully greeting and chatting up every care team member they saw at each visit.

Great care continued in the day treatment program, amazing Peter and Shirley with his incredible progress. Amber and Laura, the occupational therapists, worked in partnership to help Peter recover the use of his right hand, using hand taping and wax as part of the treatment protocol. Leanne and Lindsey, two speech language pathologists, continued to work with Peter on his cognition. Lauren and other care team members provided physical therapy. Tonjia served as his nurse evaluator.

Peter says, “Day treatment therapists were critical team members who taught me and enabled me to improve my functional abilities.”

Therapies Offered in the WakeMed Outpatient Rehab Day Treatment Program

In physical therapy, Lauren and other team members helped Peter practice and improve his ability to walk, climb and rotate inside and outside. Peter laughs recalling just how much time he spent walking around the Raleigh Campus as part of his therapy.

The speech language team helped Peter remember, speak, write and use historical knowledge to communicate.

The occupational therapy team had a huge impact on Peter’s life, making it possible for him to regain both his abilities and confidence in independent living. They used games as a key method to help Peter figure out next steps. Building models were included in his treatment protocol, helping him relearn to follow instructions. Numerous tests helped Peter learn how to compensate and take shortcuts to both strengthen and maneuver around hand weakness in his dominant hand — his right hand.

Peter says, “The injuries to my right hand prevented me from writing and cooking well. Use of putty, wax and other motions have allowed the reuse of my right hand. I am still doing wax and chiropractic treatment to fulfill this improvement.”

Best of all, through therapy, Peter got the green light to start back driving.

Peter says, “I was excited to prove the driving abilities I believed I had. Amber tested me early in my treatment and periodically over time. By early November 2021, she determined that I was able to begin driving again as long as a family member was with me. After starting back driving in November, I was able to increase to full, independent driving by the end of the 2021.”

Peter’s Ongoing Successes

“I am happy with my abilities and health. I also understand that my brain damage is improving every day and will continue to improve for sometime. Thank God for the treatment I received at WakeMed through the outstanding staff that works at the hospital emergency department, wings and treatment programs.”

Family and friends are also back to asking Peter to use his many skills for volunteerism. While there are a number of projects he’d like to be involved in, he’s pacing himself and selecting the ones, for now, that are personally fun and rewarding for him.

Peter is also back in the full swing of home care and home improvement projects.

Peter says, “Thanks to my rehabilitation, I have gotten back to cooking, finishing the screened-in porch, helping my daughter with home improvements, visiting my daughter and son-in-law’s beach house in the Outer Banks, driving my Jeep at the beach, working on my pontoon boat and travelling around the country to visit family and friends.”

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About the WakeMed Trauma Program

From pre-hospital and emergency care to surgery, intensive care and rehabilitation, WakeMed’s Trauma program features a network of care and specialists who are dedicated to preserving life and getting patients on the road to recovery. A continuum of services support trauma patients, starting with EMS and our trauma surgeons to spiritual care, imaging, lab, neurosurgeons, orthopaedists, rehab specialists and more.

WakeMed Trauma Centers

As Wake County’s only provider of trauma services and a regional trauma referral center, our two trauma centers — a Level I Trauma Center at Raleigh Campus and a Level III Trauma Center at Cary Hospital — and the WakeMed Trauma teams are standing ready to provide immediate care for the seriously injured.

WakeMed Rehabilitation Hospital

The WakeMed Rehabilitation Hospital is a 103-bed, nationally accredited rehabilitation hospital in Raleigh, NC with the largest number of rehab beds under one roof than any other rehab hospital in the entire state. WakeMed Rehabilitation offers a full continuum of physical rehabilitation services from the acute care setting (including a neuro care unit), through inpatient rehab in our CARF-accredited rehabilitation hospital, intensive day treatment, home health, outpatient rehabilitation and social programs. We offer specialty rehab programming for spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke, amputee and pediatric patients. Our team consists of highly experienced therapists who specialize in treating the most complex patients. With the positive support of our team of physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, neuropsychologists, nurses, case managers and physicians, our patients work hard to achieve the best possible outcomes and return to their lives.