Colton's Story by Maggie Dyet, RN.

Colton was the son of my friend, Chris Rutter. Chris had just been awarded sole custody of Colton. On the day of the accident they were traveling to Tucson from Chris’s ranch in Sonoita. Colton was strapped in his carseat, which was on the passenger side of the back seat. Immediately after the accident Colton was conscious and crying, and was transported by helicopter to UMC. Initially he was going to be held for observation until it became apparent that he was injured more seriously.

Apparently a piece of metal from the frame of the car had flown in somehow and snapped Colton in the skull, causing a fracture that was not immediately evident. Once the seizures began due to swelling of the brain he was placed on life support. He was started on anti-seizure medication, and a paralyzing drug in order to minimize the swelling of the brain by preventing Colton to move or breathe on his own. In spite of this, his intra-cranial pressure rose to a dangerous level. An external shunt was put in place by the neurosurgeon to drain off the excess fluid, and eventually a flap of bone was removed from the left side of his skull to relieve the ever-building pressure. Slowly he began to stabilize, eventually being taken off life support and breathing on his own. But he would never be the same healthy, normal boy that he used to be.

After two months in the PICU at UMC he was discharged home. His medical condition was quite fragile; he was blind, had severe cerebral palsy (CP), had lost his ability to suck (although he could swallow) and had to have a gastrostomy tube (G-Tube) inserted into his stomach for feedings of high calorie formula. He also required a surgery called a fundal placation, which made the opening from his esophagus into his stomach stronger and able to hold the formula down. He had an internal V-P shunt (ventriculoperitoneal; one that drained spinal fluid from his ventricles into his abdominal cavity) placed. He could hear, and respond to pain, and touch. He was on anti-seizure medication, muscle relaxant, reflux meds, anti-anxiety medication, another medication to decrease the amount of saliva he produced. He was provided with wall suction and a tank of oxygen with a nasal cannula, and had trained care-givers come to his house to assist Chris in his care.

He survived for another year, being readmitted to UMC frequently for bouts of aspiration pneumonia due to frequent vomiting. Eventually his gastric surgery failed, and in August of 2006 the decision was made by Chris to place him in hospice care at TMC. He survived there for nine days before taking his last breath, with his dad, his brother and sister, and his loving caregivers at his side.