Draidyn Wollmann was just 16 years old when he began his first summer job mowing grass for his hometown municipality.
One day, as he was operating a riding lawnmower, he was jarred from his seat and the machine ran over him, only stopping when the cutting deck dropped onto his torso and a spinning blade hit his chest. Wollmann lay conscious and trapped for about an hour before his boss found him and immediately called 911. Numerous local response agencies came to his side, and STARS was dispatched, with the flight crew taking to the air shortly thereafter.
Meanwhile, he was gradually bleeding out from a mostly severed left arm and from a large wound in his chest, where the mower blade was still embedded.
When ground paramedics arrived, they started a large-bore intravenous (IV) line but kept the mower blade in place on the advice of STARS transport physician Dr. Segun Okeydokun, to mitigate risk of increased blood loss until the STARS crew arrived with blood on board.
This would be one of STARS flight nurse Bailey Sinclair’s first solo shifts after recently completing months of intense training with STARS. “When we arrived on scene, I had that initial shock moment of ‘Wow, this is nothing I’ve ever experienced before.’ But that’s when your training kicks in and you know your course of action.” Said Sinclair. “That’s why we’re good at what we do.”
The IV line already in Wollmann’s arm meant Sinclair could immediately begin infusing a unit of blood while STARS flight paramedic Glen Pilon prepared a video laryngoscope and set up to intubate. This rapid response and advanced in-flight medical care were made possible by the helicopter’s comprehensive medical suite.
Pilon was grateful not only to the blood donors who enabled Wollmann’s life-giving transfusion, but also to the STARS allies whose generosity enabled other critical elements of the mission.
“Without the supporters, you don’t have that video laryngoscope, you don’t have the ultrasound, you don’t have the ventilator, and you don’t have the fuel to get there,” he said. “They’re a huge part of this.”
It was a 17-minute ride to the children’s hospital where Wollmann was cared for by a fantastic team. The wound in his chest had missed damaging any vital organs, but his left arm had to be amputated at the elbow.
After several weeks in hospital, Wollmann was released and was fitted with a prosthetic arm. A quiet kid with a big heart, he has recovered surrounded by his family and community. He is eternally grateful for his second chance and for his STARS crew.
If it wasn’t for STARS, Draidyn wouldn’t be alive. I know that for a fact,” said his mother, Christine. “STARS saved his life.”
