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Aaron Haney
is your typical 16-year-old boy. He loves
riding dirt bikes in the mountains and going mud
bogging with his friends. Unlike most boys his age,
Aaron now spends his days in outpatient rehabilitation
and at home due to a car accident that dislocated his
spine last September.
“I won’t be able to ride dirt bikes anymore because
of the risk,” Aaron said. “But I’m looking forward to
hiking, swimming and lifting weights again.”
On Saturday, Sept. 10, Aaron was brought in to
Kootenai Health’s emergency department after a high-
speed vehicle accident where he had been ejected from
his truck. After being examined by general surgeon, Ed
DeTar, M.D., it was quickly determined a neurosurgeon
would be needed to examine his spine. Katie Huynh,
D.O., with Kootenai Clinic Neurosurgery, was on call
that day.
“When I first examined him, Aaron could not move
or feel his lower extremities. He was paraplegic,” she
said. “Imaging showed he had a fracture dislocation of
his thoracic spine and severe compression on his spinal
cord.”
Dr. DeTar and Dr. Huynh discussed the possibility
of transferring Aaron to a children’s hospital once his
parents arrived. While waiting for Aaron’s family,
Dr. Huynh concluded his best chance for recovery
would be to decompress his spine as soon as possible.
“To transfer him to another facility would delay care
and possibly cause more complications,” she said.
“Even though he was considered a pediatric patient
because of his age, at nearly 6 feet tall, he was the
same size as an adult. The staff and I felt confident in
providing the level of care he needed.”
Aaron’s parents agreed that the sooner he could be
cared for, the better.
His surgery lasted eight hours, the longest spinal
AWalking
Miracle
Q U I C K D E C I S I O N - M A K I N G A N D G R E AT
T E A MW O R K L E A D T O A M I R A C U L O U S
R E C O V E R Y
By Andrea Nagel
Aaron Haney
sustained a fracture
dislocation of his
thoracic spine from a
car accident last fall.
Today he is working
on rehabilitation and
getting back to his
normal routine.
Ed DeTar, M.D.
Katie Huynh, D.O.
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