Garrett Hall Surviving and Thriving After Traumatic Brain Injury

Sometimes a person arrives at the hospital who stands out for some reason. Garrett Hall is one of those people. Maybe it’s that he was only 22 when his traumatic skiing accident happened. Or maybe it was because he was a recent college graduate just weeks away from starting his career at Boeing in Dallas, Texas. Whatever the reason, the care team at Lehigh Valley Health Network took a vested interest in his care and recovery.

“I give a lot of credit to the staff at Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Muhlenberg for my overall outcome. I’ve crushed every statistic for someone with a traumatic brain injury [TBI] and this points to the quality of care I received,” Hall says. “Everyone from the most prestigious doctors to the janitor would pray for me. I believe that had a positive impact.”

Hall and a few friends were on a celebratory ski trip at Camelback Ski Resort in the Poconos. An experienced skier, he has been skiing since he was 3 and takes annual ski trips with his family. On Jan. 4, 2023, on a double black-diamond course, he hit a pole, his helmet came off and then his head hit the ground, hard. As a result, Hall suffered an intracerebral hemorrhage, broke his leg, shattered his knee and tore several ligaments including his ACL and PCL.

“I remember some parts of that trip, but none of the skiing, oddly,” he says. “I was in a coma for four days and when I woke up in the hospital, I had to ask my mom what happened.”

Because of inclement weather, Hall was originally taken by LVHN–MedEvac to LVH–Pocono. There he was stabilized before being transferred to LVH–Muhlenberg, which is designated as a Level II Trauma Center.

Prior to his arrival, neurosurgeon Andrew Tsen, MD, had already viewed Hall’s computed tomography scans and stood ready to perform an emergency right frontotemporoparietal craniectomy, a surgical procedure where a large bone flap is removed to relieve pressure from bleeding in the brain.

“Garrett had a severe head injury that was immediately of concern on the mountain with EMS,” Dr. Tsen says. “In my opinion, his care is an example of the exemplary preparation and communication of our trauma team here at Muhlenberg and the overall coordination that happens between our Muhlenberg and Pocono campuses to take care of trauma patients from our local ski resorts.”

Hall was admitted to the intensive care unit after that initial surgery. There, he remained intubated for four days and was discharged to begin rehabilitation on hospital day nine. In total, Hall spent 45 days at LVH–Muhlenberg where he was cared for, underwent several more surgeries and began the long process of rehabilitating his body and mind.

Trauma and general surgeon Kathryn Wheel, MD, who was also part of Hall’s care team says, “He was helmeted, but his helmet came off after hitting the pole, so his head struck the ground. Long- term outlook can be unpredictable in TBI patients, but generally the best results appear to happen in younger brains.”  

In a video that Hall’s mom Anna created and posted to YouTube, she chronicles his journey and names just a few members of the care team who helped along the way. “It took a village – day nurse, night nurse, trauma physician, trauma physician assistant, case manager, therapists, breathing tube specialists and more,” the video points out.

Hall had worked hard to graduate early from the University of Tennessee. After an internship at Boeing, he was excited to start his career with the company in warm-weather Texas. After the accident, it was getting back on track with these plans that kept him motivated.

Set to start work in Texas on Jan. 16, the accident happened just 12 days prior to that. He didn’t make it to Texas until the end of June, but the good news is, he did make it.

“Along the way I’d think once I’m out of the hospital this will be over, or once therapy is done this will be over,” Hall says. “But I’ve come to realize it might never be over. That acceptance was an important part of the healing process.”

Hall was told most of the healing to his brain would happen in the two years after the accident. That milestone recently passed, and in that time, he’s been determined to give it all he’s got.

“Garrett’s ability to return from his severe traumatic brain injury speaks volumes of his own resiliency and strength, as well as the exceptional care starting with his inpatient stay from our trauma team and the intense rehab provided by our physiatrists at Inpatient Rehabilitation Center–Muhlenberg,” Dr. Tsen says. “It was Garrett’s own willingness and strength to endure recovery, and his family’s support throughout the process, that really took his recovery to the best that it could be.”

While Hall had gone back to work and lives independently, it hasn’t always been an easy time. At one point his hunger completely went away and he had to force himself to eat to stay healthy. He’s dealt with struggling to sleep and lost short-term memory and says he sometimes loses track of conversations as they’re happening.

The road to recovery also included an additional two weeks in a hospital in Virginia where Hall underwent permanent ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery. As a result of the accident, cerebrospinal fluid in his brain wasn’t draining properly. This can cause a buildup in the brain. The surgery fixes this by inserting a permanent shunt that diverts excess fluid to the abdomen.

“If I’m being honest, I got depressed when I realized I can’t do all the things I used to be able to do, mentally and physically,” Hall says. “I started to see a psychiatrist, and thankfully I’ve been able to get a lot of those emotions under control.”

When asked what the biggest challenge was, he says, “The hardest part about the accident was never the time in the hospital or even the pain; it was the two years after the accident – making up for the time I lost and being forced to relearn every facet of my life post- TBI.”

Although Hall was recently laid off and is back in the job market, his outlook for the future is bright.

First, he’s looking forward to the Trauma Survivors Day celebration at LVH–Muhlenberg where he’ll again be face to face with the people who helped him heal in those crucial early days.

“They had such a profound impact on my recovery, and my memory of that time is foggy at best,” Hall says. “I’m so looking forward to meeting everyone who helped me on a day-to-day basis.”

Second, he’s gained a new appreciation for his family and friends who have helped him and cheered him on these past two years. His friend Riley brought him an envelope of photos to remind him of all the people who love him. Another friend drove him to Dallas and helped him to set up his apartment. Countless others have visited and checked in.

For his care team at LVH–Muhlenberg that worked tirelessly to get Hall back on track, his mom offers this heartfelt message: “When you are having yet another long and demanding day, please remember your profound impact. You gave Garrett back to us, and we will be forever grateful.”