In August 2022, a team of physicians, nurses, physical therapists and other medical staff fought to keep a Steamboat local from paralysis and life as a quadriplegic after he suffered a broken neck.

“It’s a miracle that Chad can walk again, and all credit goes to the medical staff and our community at large,” says Lily Lewis, wife and primary cheerleader for Chad Whitaker.

It was near midnight in Steamboat Springs at the emergency department at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center, when Whitaker “came in hot” according to Lewis. Due to an accident that occurred out of state, he was unable to get out of the car, so the security officer and two nurses helped him onto a gurney. Whitaker’s vital signs were stable, but he had tingling and numbness. Whitaker was admitted to the hospital, and a physician quickly ordered an MRI.

“When she came back in the room, I could see it in her eyes,’’ Whitaker recalled. “She said, ‘I have bad news. You have an incomplete fracture in your neck at C6-C7.’”

Incomplete? What did that mean? Whitaker wanted to know.

“She explained that an incomplete neck fracture means it didn’t fully cut through my spinal cord. That was language I understood,” said Whitaker.

“We didn’t have time to panic, we were still in shock that Chad was immediately going into surgery,” remarked Lewis.

After the MRI, Dr. J. Alex Sielatycki, a board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic spine surgeon, was notified of Whitaker’s injury and progressive neurologic deficit. Within hours, Whitaker was in an operating room at YVMC for his first of several surgeries.

“Chad’s incomplete spinal cord injury was quite severe,” said Sielatycki. “He broke and dislocated his C6 vertebrae. The spinal cord at C6 controls the biceps, hands and the entire lower body. He had a little bit of toe movement and some spotty sensation in his feet, but left untreated, that would have been his permanent state.

“Spinal cord injuries at C6 render a patient’s legs and hands paralyzed.”

An “incomplete’’ spinal cord injury meant there was just a small amount of spinal cord function remaining intact. In the operating room, Sielatycki’s goal was to take pressure off Whitaker’s spinal cord and restore function.

Lewis found her husband, a loving father and talented chef, and herself in the hands of others as the reality and seriousness of Whitaker’s injury started to hit her.

“Prior to this emergency, I thought of our local hospital as a place to get flu shots and general check-ups,” she said. “I had no idea the depth of talent there is at YVMC and how fast a team could be mobilized. We are so grateful and lucky to have world-class care here in Steamboat.”

Three surgeries to address damage to the spinal cord

During the initial surgery, Sielatycki accessed the injury from the front of Whitaker’s neck. He was able to reduce pressure and realign Whitaker’s dislocated C6 vertebrae. A CT scan showed a second surgery was needed to completely release pressure off the spinal cord. This time, Sielatycki gained access from the back of the neck.

Less than 24 hours later, Whitaker was in deep pain again. Sielatycki ordered an MRI, which showed that a hematoma had developed, causing Whitaker to lose function in the legs.

“This required a third operation to evacuate the hematoma and get the pressure off the spinal cord once more,” said Sielatycki. “If it hadn’t been identified, Chad likely would have become paralyzed again and remained that way permanently.”

“I remember asking Dr. Sielatycki point-blank, ‘Why are we doing this here?’ I wondered why Chad wasn’t being transferred to a larger facility,” she said. “We all want the best care for our loved ones; I had no idea that the best care was right here in Steamboat. This was Chad’s third surgery in less than two days. Dr Sielatycki told me that the goal was motion preservation, and he was intent on doing what he could so Chad had a shot at mobility again.’’

Sielatycki said transferring Whitaker would have been possible, though it would have resulted in significant surgical delay in getting pressure off his spinal cord.

“Time is of the essence in these situations,” said Sielatycki. “There’s also risk with moving or transferring patients with unstable neck injuries, as too much jostling or movement could theoretically have worsened his spinal cord injury. We were able to take care of him, right away, without having to flying him by helicopter to Denver.”

A few days after the third surgery, Whitaker’s pain started to subside and he was able to squeeze his wife’s hand. Finally, there was a turning point in his care.

“Dr. Gary Breen and Dr. Evan Hardesty took over and watched Chad like a hawk,” said Lewis.

Whitaker told everyone on his care team that he planned to walk again.

“He is never afraid of a challenge, and this was a big one,” said Lewis.

Physical and mental rehabilitation after a broken neck

Later that week while still in ICU, Whitaker met Gus Allen, a physical therapist with UCHealth SportsMed Clinic who works with inpatients at YVMC.

“Gus came in and said, ‘Let’s get up,’” said Whitaker. “It seemed really quick after surgery. That moment was more mental than physical for me.”

“The body knows that things have changed and it’s going to have to commit energy and resources to recovery in order to survive,” said Allen. “By attempting tasks that challenge the body early on, the body becomes aware of the particular impairments that it needs to fix, which drives a healing response.”

Even though Whitaker was not able to support his own body weight, Allen and other care team members were able to place him in a standing position by using a transfer and mobility device.

“Chad’s a big guy, and his muscles were barely working,” said Allen. “Thanks to a scale in the device, I was able to see how much of his own weight he was able to support. The fact that he was even able to support about 10% of his body weight by himself gave us a great starting point. Nearly every day, that scale would show he was taking a bit more of his own weight than the day before.

“Most everyone wants to get better, but not everyone is willing or able to do the work to make it happen. Chad worked hard from the first session to our last. When you see someone putting that much work in, you’re going to do everything you can for them.”

“Gus was awesome. He really made me think, ‘OK, I can do this,’” Whitaker said.

Hello and goodbye

As Whitaker prepared to leave YVMC and transition to an intensive inpatient rehabilitation facility on the Front Range, the couple wanted to bring their daughter, Isabelle, to see her father.

“She was six when this happened. How do you prepare your daughter to go see her dad in the hospital?” said Lewis. “Alisa Harnden, one of the social workers, reassured me of the resiliency in kids. Alisa suggested some comforting phrases that were appropriate for the situation.”

On the day of the reunion, Georgie Weber, a nurse who had cared for Whitaker in the ICU, made sure he was seated in a chair rather than a hospital bed. Whitaker wore a Philadelphia Phillies hat and a favorite shirt, instead of a hospital gown. A nurse brought in some ice cream to celebrate the reunion and make the visit less scary for a youngster.

Isabelle beamed once she saw her dad, quietly said hello, and gently hugged him.

“He’s crying, she’s crying, there were smiles and tears all around,” said Lewis. “I knew at that moment we’d be ok no matter what Chad’s recovery in Denver would involve.”

Community support

After two weeks at YVMC, it was time for Whitaker to go to inpatient rehab on the Front Range.

“All of Steamboat and everyone at YVMC surrounded our family with support,” said Lewis. “The notes and cards were posted in Chad’s room to encourage him, and it made a difference.”

Friends and family modified the family’s home and built a wheelchair ramp there, because as Lewis recalled, “icy driveways and spinal cord injuries don’t mix.”

A savior and a firecracker: the challenges of recovering from a neck injury

After several months in Denver, Whitaker returned home to Steamboat Springs to continue occupational and physical therapy. He started working with Patty Bobryk, a neurologic physical therapist at SportsMed.

“Patty was my savior,” said Whitaker. “Working with her felt comfortable. From the tests she ran and the exercises we did and even how she spoke, I knew I was in the right place with the right person in my corner.”

Still weak when he arrived at SportsMed, Bobryk focused exercises and activities that would benefit all of his functional skills, like getting up and down from the floor, going up and down stairs without a railing, and carrying objects without losing his balance. She developed a home exercise program focused on stretching, strengthening, balance and endurance.

They used their one-hour therapy sessions to the fullest. In time, Whitaker’s legs and ankles became stronger. They celebrated the first time he was able to jump.

“Chad was always pushing the envelope to get better. He set goals for himself and was very focused not only during therapy, but at home, too,” said Bobryk. “He never wasted a minute of his sessions and always asked, ‘What’s next?’ He had a positive attitude and celebrated the small victories along the way, which kept him pushing forward for more.”

He also worked with SportsMed physical therapists Aaron Zagrodnik and Alyssa Hornbrook, who are both certified strength and conditioning specialists. They worked together for months, long enough for Hornbrook to witness Whitaker move from hesitancy to excitement when approaching new challenges.

“Alyssa, she’s a firecracker,” said Whitaker. “She has so much energy; she motivated me to keep going.”

“One of my favorite moments with Chad was having him run about 100 feet during an appointment, just to show him that he could do it,” said Hornbrook. “By the end of our sessions, he was doing everything from hopping, side shuffling, kettlebell movements and lunge walks, to overhead presses in challenging footwork positions and isolated strengthening.”

Life after the hospital

Whitaker is approaching two years since the accident. He’s returned to work, to his favorite fitness classes, and has been on his bike (first on a gravel ride, then single track – “I was pretty emotional after that one,” he recalled).

While he loves being a chef, his return to work was not his primary goal, though he is grateful to continue his culinary career with Rex’s Family of Restaurants.

“My biggest concern was to support my family, especially to be there for my daughter,” said Whitaker. “We always scramble eggs together on Sunday morning, and I wanted to continue that tradition.”

He chuckles fondly at a memory with Isabelle from January 2023.

“I was still using forearm crutches for stability, but I had enough strength to pick her up,” said Whitaker. “She was so excited and yelled, ‘Mommy! Mommy! Guess what? Daddy picked me up and gave me a hug and his head didn’t fall off!’ We all still laugh at that.”

During those first days in the hospital, Lewis said Whitaker would dream of the day that he could walk down YVMC’s long hallway under his own power. Six months later, Whitaker would return to the hospital and carefully walk to the front desk to say thank you.

“How do you say thank you to the people who saved your quality of life? Tacos? A thank you card?” said Whitaker.

“Maybe the best way is to simply share our positive experience and say, ‘We are forever grateful,’” said Lewis.