David Benjamin “Ben” Shuman

Home: Morganton, in Fannin County, about 100 miles north of Atlanta

Date of trauma: April 9, 2006

Age at time of trauma: 22

Trauma incident: Shuman was driving his red Chevy S10 pickup truck north on Highway 84 in Grayson (Gwinnett County) at about 5:30 p.m. when a Chevy 1500 HD truck traveling eastbound on Bennett Road ran the stop sign. The vehicle struck Shuman's truck on the driver's side rear truck bed at an estimated 50 miles per hour, causing Shuman's truck to veer off of the road and roll twice. Shuman was found 10 feet from the truck by his brother- in-law, who had been following behind.

Trauma response: Gwinnett EMS, Station 8 responded, and the LifeNet helicopter medical transportation service was called at 5:46 p.m. for immediate transport. The LifeNet crew arrived at 6:13 p.m., intubated Shuman, and took off for Grady Memorial Hospital, a designated Level I trauma center in downtown Atlanta, at 6:33 p.m. The helicopter arrived at Grady at 6:47 p.m. - just a few minutes outside of "the golden hour."

At Grady, Shuman received trauma resuscitation. CT scans and X-rays indicated serious skull fractures and brain injuries. A team led by neurosurgeon Dr. Nanette Harris performed an immediate craniotomy.

The trauma care difference: "Ben's evaluation at a trauma center gave him the edge for survival," says his mother Sherry Shuman, a nurse practitioner. "If he had not been at a trauma center, he would have required transfer that would have delayed treatment. If he had not been initially evaluated at a trauma center, it's questionable if he would have survived his injuries."

Shuman and his family strongly support the expansion of the trauma care system in Georgia, says Sherry Shuman. "Most people do not realize that there is inadequate trauma coverage, even in some parts of the Atlanta area," she says. "Had Ben's accident occurred outside of the Atlanta area, his chances of survival would have been greatly reduced. The only way to make the public aware of the need is to present it in a personalized way. You have to put a face on the problem."

Status: As of June 2006, Shuman had completed inpatient rehab at The Shepherd Center in Atlanta and was beginning outpatient occupational and speech therapy in Blue Ridge.

(Photograph of Ben Shuman's accident scene by Dave Williams.)