Connor Jackman
Patient Story: Connor Jackman
PATIENT STORY
The People & Places behind Connor’s Story
- CommSpec: Jonathan Roebuck | Pilot: Kirk Donovan
- Nurse: Kathy Beller | Paramedic: Brad Alleger
- Asset: L1 helicopter
- Location: Intercept with Northstar EMS to Maine Medical Center
6-year-old Connor Jackman loves playing outdoors. He’s happiest when he’s racing around on his bike or 4-wheeler, or working with his dad, Craig, in their yard in Livermore Falls.
Last June, he and his 3-year-old brother Chase were out on their tractor “helping” their dad split firewood when, in a split second, a normal afternoon turned into a nightmare. As Connor and his dad gathered firewood, little Chase accidentally put the tractor into reverse, backing over Connor’s chest and head causing traumatic asphyxia. “I’ll never forget that phone call,” said Alexa, the boys’ mom, recalling when her husband Craig called to tell her an ambulance was on the way.
While Connor never lost consciousness, his face was blue and rapidly swelling and he was badly bruised. More ominously, he had blood in his nose and ears. As a trained nurse, Alexa worried about the possibility of brain injury.
As the NorthStar EMS crew headed off with Connor, the LifeFlight helicopter flew to meet them, landing in an athletic field next to the Turner Fire Station. As Connor was becoming more lethargic and with increased swelling in his throat, the LifeFlight team immediately placed a breathing tube and put him on a ventilator.
Connor was treated for fractures in his hips and sacrum at Maine Medical Center, but otherwise, the resilient little boy was fine. “I remember how compassionate the LifeFlight crew was,” said Alexa. “They stayed to check in on us long after we arrived at the hospital.”
After a few days in the ICU, Connor was sent home with a walker and orders for a summer’s worth of physical therapy. Today, Connor is back to being an active little boy. He played on a local football team in the fall and he’s back on his bicycle. Alexa says Connor doesn’t talk much about that afternoon and little brother Chase has no memory of it at all.
Alexa says they’re happy to put the scary incident behind them, but they will never forget the good care they received. “It was phenomenal — from our local EMS crew, to LifeFlight, to the people at Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital,” said Alexa. “We are so grateful.”
