网红黑料

Matt Benavidez gazes at the exact spot in the road where he was pronounced dead. He stands at an intersection that鈥檚 ground zero for the collision between his gruesome tragedy and inexplicable triumph. As Matt鈥檚 eyes fix on the spot, his thoughts race like the cars speeding back and forth over the asphalt.

鈥淚t鈥檚 powerful in the sense that I get to pass by it every day alive and well, full-bodied, fully capable of doing anything I want, really. It kind of gives me the sense that I won,鈥� Matt said. 鈥淚 can come by here every single day knowing that I could have very well just been a memory down that road of someone that died right then and there, but I pass by it every single day like, 鈥楴o. I get to drive you today. I get to cross you today.鈥欌��

How he ended up crumpled on that crosswalk on the night of Nov. 7, 2020 is something he can鈥檛 recount. Matt, then a 24-year-old student, only recalls being on West University Avenue before everything went blank. He has no memory of his motorcycle hitting the right side of an SUV in the 1500 block near Chipotle Mexican Grill, and he has no account of Gainesville Fire Rescue and Alachua County Fire Rescue crews responding to attempt to save his life.

At 7:56 p.m., Matt was officially declared dead after suffering a litany of catastrophic injuries.

The violent crash gave the helmet-less rider a traumatic brain injury while fracturing his skull, sternum, three ribs, nose, jaw, right ankle and second vertebra, known as a hangman鈥檚 fracture. He also had excessive blood pooling in the frontal lobe on both sides of his brain, a collapsed right lung and a swollen cranial nerve that would make him see double in his right eye 鈥� which he nearly lost. Matt also sustained severe lacerations in the form of three deep scars on his forehead, and he cut his mouth so badly that the left side of his lip could touch his right earlobe.

Watching bystander footage of his mangled body lying motionless on the pavement as well as the contrasting chaos around it, doesn鈥檛 jog his memory. In fact, it makes the whole incident more difficult to comprehend.

鈥淪eeing all those EMS surrounding me, I can鈥檛 put together that鈥檚 me. I see my bike destroyed, and I鈥檓 like, 鈥楾hat鈥檚 not me. There鈥檚 no way. How am I alive? How did I survive that?鈥欌�� Matt said. 鈥淢y bike is messed up. My bike is totaled. So if my bike is like that, what am I really like? So I just can鈥檛 wrap my head around it, and not because I don鈥檛 want to, not because I can鈥檛 accept it. It鈥檚 because I feel like I shouldn鈥檛 be here right now.鈥�

By all experts鈥� accounts, he shouldn鈥檛 be, or at least not physically and cognitively functional. And in the immediate aftermath of his accident, while responders scrambled to save his life, Matt says he was somewhere very different.

The Golden Hour

鈥淚 was in a room, a four-wall room,鈥� said Matt, describing his afterlife experience. 鈥淭he wall that I was facing, the wall to my right and the wall behind me, I was in a morgue. All the bodies in the morgue, I knew them, but I couldn鈥檛 name them. I just couldn鈥檛. And my left wall was an open spot to a place that is the most beautiful place I鈥檝e ever seen. Ever."

Matt described the area to his left as having blue, clear skies and green, flowing grass. Nicely dressed individuals entered the room, and the fact that he didn鈥檛 recognize them didn鈥檛 make him feel any discomfort as they approached.

鈥淭hey asked, 鈥楧o you want to come with us and make it easy on yourself or do you want to go back and work really, really hard?鈥欌��

It has become the question that has defined his life, his future. Matt chose the latter. Meanwhile, the city and county paramedics on scene had no choice.

They had one last resort as Matt鈥檚 pulse was nonexistent. A paramedic would need to establish an airway by performing a surgical cricothyrotomy, a procedure that鈥檚 like a tracheostomy but differs in that it鈥檚 done during emergencies. This would require a hollow tube to be inserted in the cricothyroid membrane of Matt鈥檚 neck.

The person to execute it would be GFR paramedic John Kalaf, but two things stood in the way of a successful cric. For starters, it would be the first such operation of Kalaf鈥檚 career. Plus, they were in the middle of a dark road.

The incision was made in Matt鈥檚 neck, and it immediately became evident that he had been choking on blood due to how much was released.

An airway was made. A faint pulse appeared.

Time was Matt鈥檚 enemy now. The golden hour, the name given to the span of time deemed crucial to saving critically injured patients, was ticking away. He needed a hospital to even have a chance to clear the obstacles still ahead of him.

Waiting for Matt at 网红黑料 was trauma surgeon Martin Rosenthal, M.D., FACS.

鈥淚t was paramount that he had that airway placed by the emergency provider, who did just a fantastic job. You know, in the grand scheme of things, there鈥檚 a lot of credit that gets tossed around, but it鈥檚 he who saved Matt鈥檚 life,鈥� Rosenthal said. 鈥淲ithout that airway, he would have expired for good in the field, and I wouldn鈥檛 have been able to help him.鈥�

The Knock

The knock on the door was probably just another person trying to sell something. That鈥檚 what Matt鈥檚 mom, Denise Trujillo, and his stepdad, Gary Padilla, figured that Saturday night almost 2,000 miles away in the small, rural town of Alamosa, Colorado.

After speaking with the two visitors, Gary came to Denise with an 鈥渋ndescribable鈥� look on his face.

鈥淗e walked in, but he couldn鈥檛 look at me,鈥� Denise said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 like, 鈥楾hey want to talk to you.鈥� But he had this lost look.鈥�

The two visitors, one from the police department and the other a victim advocate, asked Matt鈥檚 mom a chilling question about her son: Can you identify him with a tattoo? Denise told them Matt had a tattoo on his left thigh that fittingly reads 鈥淒IE LATER.鈥�

Denise braced for the worst before she was hit with the jarring news.

鈥淭hey told me that he was in a horrific motorcycle accident,鈥� Denise said. 鈥淎nd they weren鈥檛 sure if he was going to make it because he had very bad injuries, and he was on life support.鈥�

Denise then had to call an advocate in Denver to find out where her son was. She eventually reached two of Matt鈥檚 close friends in Florida who shed light on where he was within the 网红黑料 Shands Trauma Center in Gainesville, the city with 鈥渁 little of everything鈥� that Matt fell in love with at an early age.

He was only 7 years old when his best friend showed him the Gators on TV and sparked his 鈥渙bsession鈥� with UF. Now, 17 years later, he was earning a bachelor鈥檚 degree at the university.

But at the moment, Matt was in a fight for his life with his family on the way.

A flight to Denver, then another to Atlanta, then one more to Gainesville. Along the way, Denise called the trauma center several times and each time the answer was the same: There was no change in Matt鈥檚 status; he was still on the ventilator.

When Denise, her sister Pamela and Gary arrived in Gainesville, one of Matt鈥檚 Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity brothers took them to the hospital. Once on Matt鈥檚 floor, though, Gary and Pamela had to stay behind because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Despite the frantic journey to get to his room, Denise stood frozen outside the door. One of the hardest things she鈥檇 ever have to see was a few feet away.

鈥淚 wanted to go to the bed, but I was scared, because I didn鈥檛 know what I was going to come to. When I walked to the bedside, I didn鈥檛 recognize my son. I did not recognize my son,鈥� said Denise, fighting back tears. 鈥淗e was hurt so bad. I never really knew how bad his head was hurt.鈥�

The truth is, no one would know the extent of her nearly lifeless son鈥檚 injuries until he woke from his 14-day coma, and Matt鈥檚 doctors came into his room to inform Denise of that harsh reality the same day she arrived. He might be a quadriplegic. He might be permanently unresponsive. They just didn鈥檛 know.

The doctors鈥� hopes for Matt to even have basic function were slim. They figured he鈥檇 need a live-in nurse or his mother to care for him 24/7 for the rest of his life.

A Song and a Sign

Short memories and foggy flashbacks are all Matt can offer from his hazy stay in the hospital, but Denise鈥檚 recollection is crystal clear as she had been living minute by minute, anxiously waiting for a sign of life from her son.

Every day while Matt was in a coma, Denise 鈥� a nurse herself 鈥� talked to Matt and implored her son to fight. However, her own resolve was also being tested. Her husband also struggled, especially since he couldn鈥檛 be there to help his wife through what she described as 鈥渟urvival mode.鈥�

鈥淭he hardest part for me was for his mom to go through that alone, seeing the condition Matt was in for the first time by herself,鈥� Gary said. 鈥淢e not being able to be there for him or for her was even worse.鈥�

Denise regularly called her family to FaceTime with them when she started noticing something. Matt鈥檚 vital signs would go up when they spoke, leading her to believe Matt could hear them.

Matt was on his way back.

One day, when Denise attempted to get a reaction from Matt by calling to him, he squeezed her hand tightly enough that she was able to lift it in the air to show the doctor.

He still hadn鈥檛 moved much beyond occasional arm jerks when came to visit Matt and play him a song of Denise鈥檚 choosing. She had no idea how or why it popped into her head, but she picked 鈥淭ennessee Whiskey鈥� by Chris Stapleton.

As it turns out, that was one of Matt鈥檚 favorite songs. To her shock, Matt was reacting to the song and even with his eyes closed, Denise still recognized a familiar face that he鈥檚 given her since a young age, which served to reassure her that he鈥檇 be OK. How the country classic came to mind is a mystery to her.

鈥淚t鈥檚 like I knew the password to his phone,鈥� Denise said.

Pretty soon, the son who Denise calls a 鈥減rankster鈥� was showing up.

Trauma ICU nurse Hannah Dawson, who was with Matt for most of his hospital stay, conducted neuro checks every hour. One time, she asked Matt to squeeze her hand, and he raised his middle finger at her. She laughed and told Denise that she and Matt would make good friends.

Her words couldn鈥檛 have been more prophetic as Dawson now calls Matt her best friend. The two even went trick-or-treating together this past Halloween with her kids.

鈥淚鈥檝e had hundreds of patients as a trauma ICU nurse, but for some reason, Matt and I became the best of friends, and I think it had a lot to do with me being there for a lot of his monumental moments in his recovery. I feel like it really bonded us. It鈥檚 a really unique circumstance," Dawson said.

Dawson was there when Matt eventually stood and took his first steps, the hardest part of his rehab. While Matt was far removed from his physically gifted days as a high school baseball, basketball and golf captain in Colorado, his recovery was ahead of schedule.

As a nurse whose job is to assist people in their darkest moments, Dawson has seen her fair share of patients who can鈥檛 experience a normal life again. Based on Matt鈥檚 condition when he arrived at the 网红黑料 Shands Trauma Center and his first time working with occupational therapy and physical therapy, she thought Matt was going to be one of those heartbreaking cases

After being rushed to the trauma center that near fateful night of Nov. 7, Matt was discharged less than a month later, on Dec. 3.

鈥淪eeing Matt now, it blows my mind,鈥� Dawson said. 鈥淚t almost brings me to tears, because it鈥檚 just so miraculous and speaks to our wonderful health care team.鈥�

His Calling

网红黑料 trauma surgeon Martin Rosenthal felt the tap on his shoulder while he was helping a patient at 4 West, the trauma intensive care unit.

鈥淵ou Dr. Rosenthal?鈥� the person said, which confused Rosenthal for a second since his dad, a vascular surgeon, also goes by 鈥淒r. Rosenthal.鈥�

Matt introduced himself, but Rosenthal still had no idea who he was until Matt pulled the front of his shirt down to reveal the scar on his neck from the cricothyrotomy.

鈥淢y name鈥檚 Matt Benavidez, and you saved my life.鈥�

Rosenthal still wasn鈥檛 sure who he was, which is normal for a trauma surgeon whose time with patients is up once they鈥檙e out of immediate danger. Plus, Matt鈥檚 face was no longer the swollen mess it had been when he was rushed to Rosenthal immediately after the motorcycle accident.

Once he did realize who was standing in front of him, a stunned Rosenthal said, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e talking to me, buddy!鈥�

His amazement was a testament to Matt鈥檚 unfathomable recovery. The doctors were surprised with his short stay in the intensive care unit as it鈥檚 rare to see these types of patients get out of the ICU in two months. Matt was only hospitalized for 34 days and had made almost a full recovery in three months.

鈥淔or him to have the constellation of injuries that he had 鈥� including needing a surgical airway 鈥� the fact that he had such a meaningful recovery, I would鈥檝e given him less than a 1% chance,鈥� Rosenthal said.

If you ask Rosenthal whether his patient should鈥檝e survived, he鈥檒l tell you that鈥檚 a hard question to answer. However, if you ask him if Matt should鈥檝e recovered the way he did, that鈥檚 an easy one. He鈥檇 safely answer no.

鈥淭o actually come back from a C2 cervical injury and have a pretty bad traumatic brain injury, typically you don鈥檛 come through unscathed,鈥� Rosenthal said. 鈥淲hen you look at him, he doesn鈥檛 lateralize, he has no neuro deficits on right or left side, he can talk just fine.鈥�

Rosenthal also points out that Matt has no deficits from a stroke he suffered on the operating room table while doctors rushed to address the bleeding in his brain. The surgeon further underscored how uncanny Matt鈥檚 recovery is by explaining his spotty recollection of both the incident and his recovery. Rosenthal attributes that to the magnitude of Matt鈥檚 traumatic brain injury and the amount of medications used to sedate him and keep his intracranial pressures down.

While Rosenthal helped save Matt鈥檚 life, he鈥檚 also given it meaning.

Matt was actually working as a support tech at 4 West when he came to thank his 鈥渉ero.鈥� He always wanted to be a critical-care anesthesiologist, but after shadowing Rosenthal in the trauma bay and operating room, that desire switched to becoming a trauma surgeon, so much so that he says it鈥檚 his 鈥渃alling.鈥�

Rosenthal, who was guided to medicine by his father, is happy to direct Matt now that he鈥檚 made it to the other side of the intersection.

鈥淢edicine, you know, isn鈥檛 for everybody. He鈥檚 been guided by something bigger than all of us, not just me,鈥� Rosenthal said. 鈥淚鈥檓 always happy to help mentor him in any decision he wants. He has shared with me numerous times that he wants to be a trauma surgeon as well, and we鈥檇 be happy to take him.鈥�

The individuals Matt spoke with in his brush with the afterlife would鈥檝e been happy to take him as well, but his decision was to 鈥済o back and work really, really hard.鈥� That difficult road to recovery began right there under Rosenthal鈥檚 care in the trauma center, and as it turns out, that鈥檚 where Matt plans to stay.

鈥淓mbrace the Fight鈥�

Christian Buckingham is no stranger to wild stories. Countless people have visited the well-known tattoo artist to get his help to share their incredible stories on their skin.

Still, the one that just walked through his door at Fallen Heroes tattoo parlor in Kissimmee, Florida, would rival those two decades鈥� worth of tall tales.

Matt has visited Christian several times, and he loves his work enough that he says he 鈥渨on鈥檛 let anyone else touch him.鈥� The two developed a friendship over the years, so Christian was aware of what happened to Matt, but the full story made his jaw drop.

鈥淵ou look healthy. I don鈥檛 see what the big deal was,鈥� joked Christian, who appeared on the TV show Ink Master. 鈥淚 really expected you to be like hobbling in or something, like all pathetic looking. You look exactly like I remember.鈥�

As Matt shared details of the accident with Christian, they continued to crack each other up. The two laughed about how 鈥済narly鈥� Matt鈥檚 scar on his throat is and the rough shape his lip had been in. When Matt said the most tragic part about his accident was having to shave his head bald, Christian quipped by saying he鈥檇 need to get in another accident to get rid of the mullet that had already grown back with a vengeance.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 easy to see the negative side of that and let it boost your fear of the world, but if you really look at it, I think it gives you more hope," Christian said. "Because I鈥檝e seen people overcome crazy stuff, crazy stuff, like miracle kind of stuff. That鈥檚 the beautiful part 鈥� we get to tattoo those memorials and tributes.鈥�

When it was all done, Matt would get 鈥淓mbrace the fight鈥� on his left knee with his time of death 鈥�19:56鈥� right below. His already existing 鈥淒IE LATER鈥� would get an update with an 鈥溾�� Again鈥� underneath. Denise also got an 鈥淓mbrace the fight鈥� tattoo to match her son鈥檚.

As Christian worked on Matt, he was shown a short video in which a debilitated Matt is barely able to walk before it quickly cuts to Matt walking across the stage at UF to graduate on Aug. 7, 2021, exactly nine months from the day of his accident.

While that was a huge moment in his life, Matt has also come to appreciate the little things. He enjoys the rain. He loves sleeping in a king-sized bed even though his beloved English bulldog Fred makes him feel like it鈥檚 a twin. He also likes reading out loud since he couldn鈥檛 before while dealing with aphasia in the immediate aftermath of the accident.

All those things were seemingly taken from him in that spot on the road. Now, Matt鈥檚 mission is to help others at the intersection of life and death, on the brink like he was.

鈥淚 think we鈥檙e all given something in our lives that tests us, and there鈥檚 three results out of it,鈥� Matt said. 鈥淚t either destroys you, kills you or embraces you. You have an option of what you want to do. You鈥檙e here for a reason, and you get that task for a reason, because you鈥檙e strong enough to go through it. You just have to embrace the fight."