Orthopaedic & Rehab Center

Routine ride ends in trauma
Akron General's Level-I Trauma Center saves horse lover's life

A routine day of horseback riding in September turned into a life-threatening trauma for Bath resident Sharon Honroth. “My daughter Whitney and I had finished a great ride and were standing next to our horses,” explains Sharon. “Brutus started nibbling at Lane, who in defense, attempted to kick him. I was caught in the middle!”

Brutus kicked Sharon with both hind legs in her arm and Lane kicked her in her side, which threw Sharon about five feet. A stabbing pain in Sharon's abdomen and lower back prompted daughter Whitney to call 911. Sharon was immediately transported to Akron General Medical Center's Level-I Trauma Center.

“By the time Sharon arrived, her vital signs were anything but stable and we knew she had broken ribs,” recalls Trauma Surgeon William Papouras, MD. “She was in a great deal of pain, her blood pressure was very low and her abdomen was expanding – all signs of internal damage and bleeding. We immediately took her into surgery.”

Sharon had lost a large amount of blood and had to be resuscitated numerous times during those first critical hours. Dr. Papouras also discovered intense damage to her spleen and kidney and had to remove the damaged organs. Following her life-saving surgery, Sharon was taken to the Intensive Care Unit where she received additional blood and began her difficult road to recovery. Today she continues to heal under the close care of Dr. Papouras and her family.

“Sharon’s story is a wonderful testament of the importance of a Level-I Trauma Center,” says Dr. Papouras. “From the Emergency Department physicians and staff, to the entire surgical team, to the staff in the ICU and the technicians in the Blood Bank, everyone helped Sharon make it through.”

Level-I trauma care counts
Serving Summit and 26 surrounding counties, Akron General’s Level-I Trauma Center has the staff expertise and supporting technology to treat all levels and types of traumatic injuries – even the most severe – 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For more information on this and other life-saving services from Akron General, visit www.akrongeneral.org.