Jack Johnson came to the emergency department with what turned out to be a broken finger and serious laceration. Thanks to the emergency staff, in 10 days Jack went from a full soft cast to a bandage.
When 11-year-old Jack Johnson walked through the backdoor after a bike ride, his mother Cara was in shock from what she saw. Her son was covered in blood, an image no parent should ever have to see. Cara jumped into action and was able to figure out what caused the mess, a badly injured finger. Jack fell off his bike after someone else ran into his tire which tossed him on the sidewalk. It was clear Jack needed to get to the emergency department (ED) to get his hand checked out.
When her 11-year-old walked in the door with a major injury, mom Cara knew she could trust Akron Children’s, who saved Jack’s life multiple times.
“The choice to coming to Akron Children’s was a no brainer,” Cara said. Jack and his family have a history with the hospital. At only 8 weeks old, Jack was saved by a quick-thinking ED doctor who diagnosed Jack with bacterial meningitis. Fast forward to 2018, Jack was admitted for dehydration and vomiting. A doctor had a hunch that there was an underlying cause to what was making Jack so ill. After looking into Jack’s case and running tests, Jack was diagnosed with Addison’s disease, a rare, life-threatening autoimmune disease.
As an infant, Jack contracted bacterial meningitis and needed to be hospitalized. Here, he takes a ride around the halls with his parents.
As the family raced to the ED, they laughed at the 1 rule they set for the time spent at home during the pandemic — no ED visits. Despite having apprehension over visiting the hospital during the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, they knew Akron Children’s has always made patient safety the top priority. From cleaning to personal protective equipment (PPE), the ED staff made sure Jack and his family felt safe and were safe.
In 2018, Jack was experiencing vomiting and symptoms of dehydration. He ended up back in the ED and later admitted to the hospital. Thanks to his parents bringing him in and a doctor’s hunch upon seeing Jack’s chart, he was diagnosed with Addison’s disease, a rare, life-threatening autoimmune disease.
“Jack was seen by a flurry of people, and every person just as kind and caring as the person before,” says Cara. The injury was explained to Jack; he had fractured the end of his finger along with the major laceration on the same finger.
Jack’s diagnosis? An open fracture of the “tuft” of his middle finger and a deep laceration. Jack’s care included a tetanus shot, a nerve block, IV antibiotics, removal of his fingernail, a nail bed repair, stitches and soft casting.
Jack’s clinical team made sure to talk to him about everything that was going on, like why they were doing X-rays and IV antibiotics and what may hurt. Jack appreciated being a part of his care and receiving this info in simple language. He left the ED with stitches, a soft cast and a scheduled follow-up appointment.
The family jokes about Jack breaking the one “rule” they made when the COVID-19 pandemic began, no ED visits! Thankfully Akron Children’s ED is open 24/7/365 and ready to help!
After 10 days of antibiotics and 2 follow-up appointments with Dr. Patrick Riley, Sr., orthopedic surgeon, at our Medina location, Jack has just a bandage around the fingertip and daily cleaning. With the whole summer in front of him, Jack is ready to get back in action. He plans to follow his mother’s “rule” and stay out of the ED, but if he needs it, we are here for him and all of our patient families.
Jack, a soccer goalie, was concerned about his future with the sport after an injury like this. Thanks to the care of the ED staff and Dr. Riley Sr., Jack should be back in the goal this summer.
