4-year-old recovers from broken neck
Like many other four-year-old boys, Mason Pedersen of Marion has more fun climbing the fence rather than going through the gate.
That's what Mason did June 8, but he ended up falling on his back and hurting his neck.
It was Sunday and he was at a friend's house when the mishap occurred. He was able to get up and walk into the house. He was crying and told his friend's mom what had happened. When he continued to cry unconsolably, she took him home.
His mother, Stacey, said usually a kiss and a hug will make things OK, but this time Mason continued to hold both hands around his neck and obviously was in pain. "He wasn't himself," Stacey said.
She and her husband Christian immediately took the little boy to the emergency room at St. Luke Hospital. An x-ray showed he might have a broken neck, so an ambulance was called and he and his parents were transported to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita.
"Christian and I really were worried," Stacey said.
After examining Mason, the Wichita doctor said the second vertebrae in his cervical (the top segment of the spine) was broken, but he assured them the little boy would recover.
"Once we realized he was out of the woods, we were OK," Stacey said. "We could handle it."
Mason was placed in intensive care and had to lie still for several days. The narcotics he was given made him sick, so he had a few difficult days and nights.
His parents never left his side. They were provided with a Ronald McDonald room just down the hall, where they could go to get something to eat, change clothes, or take a shower.
"It was a wonderful facility," Stacey said.
They appreciated visits and assistance from friends and family.
After Mason was fitted with a halo traction, he no longer needed the medication and felt well.
They brought him home June 18 after a physical therapist showed them how to help the little boy get around. He had to learn how to balance himself with the five-pound halo device around his neck.
The therapist told them it could take a week and a half before he could move around by himself. However, Stacey said he is doing better than expected. He can get in and out of bed and in and out of the van by himself. Marion County Health Department provided him with a special roomy car seat.
The traction device is anchored in a plastic vest lined with wool, so Stacey keeps Mason inside where it's cool most of the time. However, he did get to go to a ball game one evening. He will wear the halo for six to eight weeks.
"He's doing so much better," Stacey said. "He has a strong spirit and is teaching us that life isn't so bad."
She said he never complains and enjoys having friends over.
Mason has two older brothers, Austin, 7 1/2, and Landon, 6.
Stacey is a nurse at St. Luke Hospital. Christian is a lineman for the City of Marion.
