Fremont Family Forever Grateful for Local Trauma Center

To know Daniel Olson is to like him. Always positive and friendly, he was a good student, football player, and varsity track and field athlete at Washington High School before graduating with his class of 2020. He then began attending Ohlone College while holding down a full-time job where he was a manager to a team of 32 people. But tragedy struck and Daniel’s life was derailed in an instant.

While riding his electric skateboard near his home in downtown Fremont, Daniel crashed and hit his head on the curb. He was rushed to Washington Health Trauma Center, which had just opened earlier that month. Daniel is now sharing his courageous story about suffering a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and how sheer perseverance has helped him defy the odds through a grueling rehab process. He also has an important message everyone needs to hear.

One Saturday last July, a local pastor witnessed Daniel’s accident. He saw Daniel riding his electric skateboard about 25 mph across the street. Though Daniel was an experienced rider, when the skateboard hit a painted area, it slipped out from under him and Daniel went down, hitting his head on the curb. Daniel was not wearing a helmet at the time. Seeing that he was unresponsive, the pastor called 911 and stayed with Daniel until the ambulance came.

Alpha Trauma Activation

Upon arrival at the Washington Health Emergency Department as a “Code Alpha” (the highest level of severity), a CT scan showed Daniel had a subdural hemorrhage, or a brain bleed that was increasing pressure on his brain. An intracranial pressure monitor showed the swelling was not being controlled by medications, so a craniotomy was performed. This entails removal of a portion of the skull to allow room for swelling. Daniel was in critical condition with a guarded prognosis in the early hours and days. Physicians could not tell Daniel’s family whether he would wake up from the coma, and if he did, what quality of life he might have due to potential loss of physical and cognitive abilities. Thankfully, around day 15, things took a turn in the right direction.

The swelling in Daniel’s brain decreased, and a tracheostomy and feeding tube were put in place. He was transitioned off the ventilator and began following commands, which was a very good sign. Once stabilized, the trauma and critical care teams at Washington Health who had worked so closely with Daniel said their goodbyes as he was transferred to Kaiser Permanente, his family’s health care provider. Daniel spent the next four months in several facilities, relearning basic skills and functions through intense physical, cognitive and occupational therapy.

On March 18, Daniel made a surprise appearance at a Washington Health trauma training session. Nurses who had worked with Daniel in the difficult days following his accident had joyful tears as they witnessed Daniel’s hard-earned, and ongoing recovery. Though still walking with a cane at the time, Daniel was full of life, laughing and sharing his gratitude for the lifesaving care he had received. Daniel has no memory of his 25 days at Washington Health, but the physicians, surgeons, nurses and support staff there will always remember him. Perhaps it was fate that the only trauma center in Southern Alameda County had just opened and was right around the corner from where Daniel’s accident occurred.

Daniel’s Message

At one point it was unknown whether Daniel would walk again, but he dedicated himself to returning to the lifestyle he had before the accident. Now, through sheer perseverance and grit, he’s back to work, walking without a cane, and he has even been walking more than five miles around his home!

Daniel’s story and endearing personality are inspiring, as is his message to others. “I never wore a helmet when riding my electric skateboard because my long hair would blow in the wind and I liked to have a perfect style that I thought the helmet ruined,” he shared. But after his traumatic experience, Daniel’s perspective on helmets has changed. He looks back on what he and his family have gone through and knows it could have been prevented. “It may take you 30 seconds to put on a helmet, but it could save you from losing months of your life. It may even save your life.”

Washington Health’s level II trauma center in Fremont provides 24/7 specialized, lifesaving care for critically injured patients. For more information, go to washingtonhealth.com/trauma