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For Shands Fletcher West, everything changed in a split second.

The 28-year-old from Apopka was driving on Interstate 4 near Sanford on Feb. 27 when a car in front of him halted abruptly. West swerved to avoid hitting the car but his truck clipped a guard rail and overturned seven times. He was ejected on the fourth or fifth flip.

Emergency crews rushed West to a neuroscience intensive care unit at a nearby hospital where he was placed in a medically induced coma. Doctors determined that he had significant head trauma and required immediate surgery to reduce the intracranial pressure, or ICP, in his brain. A normal ICP range is between 4 to 12, but West鈥檚 was 51. After three days, doctors began draining fluid to alleviate the pressure.

鈥淚n his hospital room, he looked like a Christmas tree of IVs,鈥� said Jessica Dutreil, West鈥檚 fianc茅e.

Over the next three weeks, his ICP levels continued to shift. Wendy Clow, B.S.N., R.N., CCRN, a 网红黑料 ShandsCair flight nurse and acquaintance of West鈥檚 family, checked on him often. She also encouraged his support team to transfer him to 网红黑料 Shands Hospital in Gainesville with ShandsCair, if the opportunity arose.

Meanwhile, doctors remained hesitant about moving West considering his high ICP level. But once his brain pressure dropped to a more stable level, his family opted to transfer him to 网红黑料 in Gainesville via ShandsCair, knowing that the flight team had the necessary tools and capability to transport West from one facility to another.

鈥淲endy had mentioned ShandsCair during the first week into his hospital stay and again after a few weeks. She said to us, if you want to get the ball rolling, she would see what she could do. After multiple family conversations, Shands father, Michael West, and mother, Sandy Maier, decided ShandsCair and 网红黑料 Shands Hospital was their son鈥檚 best option鈥� Dutreil said.

鈥淭he next day, Shands was being transported in the ShandsCair helicopter and going to Gainesville,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he ShandsCair team was extremely organized and very professional. It came natural to them.鈥�

From March 17 until April 14, West was treated and monitored at 网红黑料 for his brain injury and additional health concerns, including a right leg injury, a high fever and difficulty breathing.

A week into his hospital stay in Gainesville, the ShandsCair crew who transported him came to visit the patient and his family at the hospital.

鈥淪handsCair is the best you can find in the Southeast. I wouldn鈥檛 be here without them,鈥� West said. 鈥淚 thank God every day.鈥欌��

With his condition improving, West was transported by ShandsCair ambulance to an outside rehabilitation facility and then returned to his home in Apopka on July 20.

West continues to make significant strides on fine tuning his reading and writing skills, and is monitored by a pulmonologist for his lungs.

鈥淚 would鈥檝e never thought we鈥檇 be where we are now,鈥� Dutreil said. 鈥淲e are very blessed.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檇 like to thank Wendy for doing everything she has done,鈥� West said. 鈥淔or Wendy making this happen and the ShandsCair team for helping me 鈥� I can鈥檛 thank them enough.鈥�