Life can change in the blink of an eye, as college student Josh Mattes knows first-hand.
A car accident left Josh with 17 broken bones and multiple ruptured organs. He arrived by ambulance at the Aultman Trauma Department – and underwent emergency surgery to remove his spleen and repair other organs that burst.
Josh endured three surgeries in three days, as trauma surgeon James Young, M.D., and orthopedic surgeon John Riester, M.D., worked to repair Josh’s battered body. “It’s amazing how many people God put in Josh’s path to help him survive,” Becky Mattes, Josh’s mother, said. “Dr. Young was like Josh’s dad. Nobody did anything without Dr. Young knowing it. Dr. Riester fixed Josh’s legs and was so down-to-earth in dealing with us. And the nurses took such as personal interest in Josh – they treated him with kid gloves.”
Josh spent a month in the hospital, including two additional emergency surgeries to stop bleeding in his pelvis. After a lengthy recovery and rehabilitation period, he walks on his own once again. He’s back in school, pursuing a degree in art and business, and has a part-time job at UPS. “My body now feels changes in the weather. I hurt after loading packages at work, but I’m really glad I can do this job,” Josh explained. “My pelvis is still off, and I’ll need additional surgery. But I’m thankful my body didn’t sustain more permanent damage.”
A year after Josh’s accident, the Mattes family remains thankful for the care and kindness the Aultman staff provided. “God put Josh in Aultman,” Becky said. “And every step of the experience was phenomenal.” |