Ravon Ortiz was heading home from work one evening when a car made an illegal turn in front of him. With no time to react, his motorcycle hit the side of the car, throwing him off. A Good Samaritan saw the accident and stopped traffic to protect Ravon. He also loosened the chinstrap on Ravon’s helmet and stayed by his side until first responders arrived.
When Ravon arrived at CHRUSTUS Southeast Texas – St. Elizabeth in Beaumont, he was unconscious, and doctors didn’t think he would make it out of surgery. He had a large hematoma and traumatic intercranial hemorrhage, plus multiple broken bones including his pelvis, shoulder blade, arm, and jaw. Later, it was determined Ravon had a stroke in addition to a traumatic brain injury.
Proving the odds wrong, Ravon survived surgery and stayed at the trauma center for about 30 days before transferring to Nexus Specialty Hospital. His mother, Konswella Felps, remembers, “Ravon’s doctors believed in Nexus Specialty Hospital and Dr. Cassidy. They told me patients they sent there had done amazingly well, so that’s where we sent Ravon.”
Under the care of Dr. Cassidy in The Phoenix Project — a program for patients who have a disorder of consciousness — Ravon was able to emerge from a vegetative state.
“He arrived on a Saturday and Dr. Cassidy began treatment on Sunday, therapy on Monday, and had a speaking valve put in on Tuesday,” Konswella explained. “By the fourth day I heard Ravon’s voice and it blew me away. He emerged so quickly.”
After emerging, Ravon spent six weeks at Nexus Specialty Hospital receiving tailored therapy. Konswella described the therapy team as “Simply amazing, patient and calm, even when Ravon didn’t understand or was confused.”
“Every single time I visited he had made progress that I wasn’t expecting,” Konswella said. “Therapy started slowly with improving his range of motion to loosen up muscles and joints, and then as time went on, they showed him how to sit on his own and transfer from the bed to chair. They also had him in the rehab gym standing up on the parallel bars.”
As Ravon became more alert, he began talking and was more active. He also regained function in his right arm which was impacted by the stroke.
“He went from only really staring off to moving his arm and trying to take steps,” Konswella shared. “By the time he discharged, he was also speaking, starting to recall memories, sitting up, eating solid foods, and starting to feed himself.”
Ravon went on to complete rehabilitation that focused on strength, balance, and cognition. Now home, he is still working hard and continuing to prove the odds wrong. His main goal is to work towards independence and figure out what he’s interested in to start a career.
“Although he still has a way to go, he’s doing amazing for what he went through,” Konswella explained. “I was so impressed with Nexus Specialty Hospital and their staff. I loved the security of knowing he was there, being watched carefully and well taken care of.”
