Possibilities - Children's Hospital Central California

A few frames back, things weren’t looking sogood for Dallen McEntire. The 12-year-oldwas struck by a boat while knee-boarding withhis family at Shaver Lake. It was the worstpossible scenario - the propeller hit his head.“The boat came out of nowhere, made a hard turn anddidn’t see him,” says Dallen’s father, Jeff McEntire.“I tried yelling at the boat to stop. The boat wentright over him.”The hit and run victim was pulled out of the waterin critical condition. He spent more than a month atChildren’s Hospital Central California fighting for hislife in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).Children’s Neurosurgeon Dr. Meredith Woodwardwas joined by plastic surgeon Dr. Peter Witt. WhileDr. Woodward managed the neurosurgical aspect, theexperienced plastic surgeon fixed Dallen’s orbit and bone,and then repaired the soft tissue.“It wasn’t a clean cut. It was a twisting, pulling lacerationthat actually avulsed a substantial portion of the toughcover overlying the brain,” recalls Dr. Witt. “It becamean interesting and challenging surgical procedure.”Dallen is just one of the many miracles to come fromChildren’s Plastic Surgery & Craniofacial Practice.Led by Dr. Peter Witt and Dr. Angela Rodriguez, themedical team provides a wide array of complex andA Miraculous TurnaroundThe Players: Dr. Peter Witt of Children’s Plastic Surgery & Craniofacial Practice, along with Children’s Neurosurgeon Dr. MeredithWoodward and the medical staff of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit“I honestly thought he wasn’t going to make it. Doingwhat I do for a living, I’ve seen it all too many times.People usually don’t survive that kind of trauma,”says Dallen’s father, a firefighter in their hometownof Bakersfield. “Once he came out of the PICU, histurnaround was remarkable.”A miraculous feat, considering the extent of his injuries.The propeller had gone completely through his skull,shattering the orbit (the bony structure that houses theeye), creating an enormous laceration. The cut went fromhis scalp, across his entire forehead, crossing his nose andcurving under his left eyelid, over to the side of his face.Dallen was in a unique situation that requiredneurosurgery and facial reconstruction to happenat the same time.routine surgical services for congenital deformities andtrauma-related injuries.Dallen’s family credits the hospital and the exceptionalcare he received from the medical team.“We’re very fortunate he went to Children’s,” Jeffexplains. “I don’t think the outcome would have beenthe same had we gone to another hospital. They caterto kids, that’s their whole reason for being here.”The family is also extremely grateful for the support theyreceived from the entire Valley, from the Bakersfieldcommunity to the Fresno Fire Department.Click forward a few frames to today and things lookmuch better for the miraculous survivor. He’s back toriding dirt bikes, playing football, taking care of his dogsand playing with his 10-year-old brother, Blake.At Rio Bravo-Greeley School, Dallen has finished 6thgrade, where his academic accomplishments earnedhim a spot on the President’s List – thanks to hismother’s persistence – for achieving an exceptionalgrade point average.Photo SponsorFor now, he’s taking life one frame at a time.Sponsored bySponsored by: