Exclusive: Last month, when 13-year-old Theo Phillips had a mishap on his dirt bike, his parents weren’t surprised. They initially dismissed it as just another trip to the ER for their daredevil son.
Theo’s latest accident seemed relatively minor, compared to his long list of previous injuries, his mother said.
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“He didn’t open up his eyes and didn’t know the names of people he knew, like his brother,” Phillips said.
A week later, a CT scan uncovered blood accumulating on his brain, and Theo underwent another extensive surgery lasting seven hours.
“This time he was feeling much better and came around a lot quicker from the first op,” Phillips said.
“He’s starting to remember things and trying to put sentences together now.”
That second operation was a fortnight ago. Within a week, Theo’s energy had returned — briefly.
“He was up and trying to play basketball at the hospital,” Phillips said. “And then after that, he said, ‘Oh, I feel really dizzy.'”
While Theo was up eating and drinking, and still recovering slowly, his progress had been set back by an infection, she said.
Fortunately, Theo returned home from the hospital on Tuesday. However, Phillips mentioned that her son is now facing a lengthy and uncertain recovery with substantial rehabilitation ahead.
The teenager is still in pain and having trouble finding words and forming sentences.
However, Phillips said she and her husband were overwhelmed by their son’s strength.
“He’s still got a long way to go, but we’re just so incredibly proud of him,” she said.
“He’s been unbelievably brave through all of this.”
