‘How does a healthy 16-year-old boy have a stroke?’ | Powell teen struggles to recover from unexplained brain injury – WBIR.com

Conner Hurst’s Journey After a Brain Injury

Conner Hurst was asleep in his room when he started having a seizure. He spent the next two months in the ICU.

Introduction

It’s the simple pleasures that keep Conner Hurst and his family upbeat after an unexplained brain injury left the Powell teen paralyzed at 16 years old.

Challenges in Communication

Even communicating with Conner is more difficult. “His brain knows what to do, but those messages are just interrupted to the body,” his mother, Jamie Hurst, said.

The Seizure and Hospitalization

Conner was asleep in his room in April 2023 when he started having a seizure. His family had to pry open his door to get inside. “All I could see was his feet, and his legs were both shaking,” Jamie said. “He had some foam coming out of his mouth. He was unresponsive.” By the time paramedics arrived, Conner went into cardiac arrest. He coded twice on the way to the hospital.

Unexplained Brain Injury

“The EMT told me it was a stroke, which kind of blew my mind because I’m thinking, ‘How does a healthy 16-year-old boy have a stroke?’” Jamie said. Doctors still can’t explain why Conner had a seizure.

Rehabilitation Challenges

Conner now attends speech and physical therapy weekly, but his family said finding other resources in Knoxville is challenging. They drive to Chattanooga every month so Conner can get Botox to relieve muscle tightness and have his baclofen pump adjusted, something only a specialist can do. Dr. David Bowers sees dozens of Knoxville patients every month at Siskin Inpatient Rehabilitation in Chattanooga. “There’s a real lack of physical medicine rehabilitation as an outpatient care,” he said. Bowers said there aren’t enough providers in the area that offer long-term treatment for patients with brain injuries. “The things I’m talking about are done as outpatient, and you need physicians to do them. It’s not just a quality-of-life issue, but it is a health issue, too.”

Financial Struggles

“You can go get Botox at 200 doctor’s offices for your wrinkles, but somebody needs it because their muscles are so tight and spastic and the tone, and they can’t get it. You know, it’s just kind of sad,” Jamie said. Conner, now 18 years old, hasn’t been back to his room since his seizure. There’s no way for him to get up the stairs. “A stairlift—the cheapest quote we got was $14,000,” Jamie said. The family living room has become Conner’s makeshift bedroom as Jamie and her family navigate this new way of living. Jamie has started a GoFundMe in hopes of getting a stairlift installed for Conner.

Conclusion

“You never think about something happening to your child—that they could still be alive, but a totally different version of the child that you knew,” Jamie said.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
• SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
• SDG 11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive, and accessible, green, and public spaces, in particular for persons with disabilities.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for SDG 3.4: Number of deaths and illnesses from stroke and other non-communicable diseases.
• Indicator for SDG 10.2: Proportion of the population with access to healthcare services, including rehabilitation, for persons with disabilities.
• Indicator for SDG 11.7: Proportion of persons with disabilities who have access to public transportation, public spaces, and public facilities.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: wbir.com