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If 12-year-old Matt Marbach puts his mind to something, not much will stop him.
Not even the loss of his dominant left arm.
Marbach lost the limb on August 21, 2005, while helping do chores on his cousin's dairy farm. The accident happened as he tried to empty a bag of feed ingredients into an auger. Somehow the bag got pulled into the machine and his arm went with it.
The severed extremity was retrieved by a family member, giving rise to hopes it might be reattached. The hasty retrieval occurred while Matt was being seen by Robert Tomas, MD, a family practitioner at Mercy Medical Center-Dyersville.
Meanwhile, Matt's parents arrived at the hospital's emergency room unaware of the accident's details or whether their son's life might be in jeopardy.
"It was very traumatic, to say the least," says Matt's mother, Nancy. "Matt never lost consciousness and was even able to walk, despite the injury. He said to us, "It's OK, Mom. I'm going to be OK.'"
Unfortunately, Matt's arm was not OK. It was beyond saving.
What happened next was a testament both to Matt's courage and to the compassionate care available at University of Iowa Children's Hospital, located at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Time was critical, so Matt was delivered by AirCare helicopter to a team of UI pediatric orthopaedic specialists.
"We needed to preserve as much of Matt's remaining limb as possible so he could be fitted with a functional prosthesis," says orthopaedic surgeon Stuart Weinstein, MD. "Avoidance of infection was also critical because it was such a dirty injury."
The two-and-a-half-hour surgical procedure involved tissue removal and muscle flap coverage.
Equally important was the emotional healing that needed to accompany the physical one. Support staff including nurses, therapists, and pediatric rehabilitation specialists provided counseling and education.
Matt spent two weeks in rehabilitation therapy at the UI Center for Disabilities and Development. He learned to write and tie his shoe with his right hand.
After finally leaving University of Iowa Children's Hospital, Matt's prosthesis was fitted by the experts at Twin Cities Shriners Hospital in Minneapolis. He received two prosthetics, one full-length for everyday use and the other half-length for sports.
"Matt can do just about anything," says his proud father, Jerry. "He played Little League baseball this summer and was a fullback and linebacker on a local football team. He got an interception in the second game, which had us all pretty excited."
Matt was Shriner King for the Iowa Shrine All-Star Football Game last year and with his family has been very supportive of the Children's Miracle Network.
"We can't say enough good things about University of Iowa Children's Hospital," Jerry says. "We have many friends there and I think Matt's spirit of determination has a lot to do with it."
For more information about pediatric services, patients and families should call the toll-free University of Iowa Children's Hospital number, 888-573-5437.
For consultation or referral, physicians should call UI Consult.
-Michael Sondergard |
