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CODY MOSS & ACA MOSS
This is a story about a family whose lives were changed forever. It’s a story about two brothers and a horrible crash that claimed the life of a devoted mom and loving grandmother. It’s about a dedicated father who was faced with putting the life of his family back together. It’s about the commitment of Children’s Miracle Network, an organization devoted to improving the health care of children.
On August 27, 2002, 9-year-old Cody Moss, and his 7-year-old brother Aca, spent the day with their mother, Debra, and grandmother Bonnie, on a shopping trip to Minneapolis. As they were returning to their home in Mosinee, their vehicle crashed. Debra and Bonnie did not survive and the boys were severely injured. Cody was the most critical and the Spirit of Marshfield helicopter was called to the scene.
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Cody Moss & Aca Moss
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The Spirit of Marshfield began its air and ground medical transportation service more than ten years ago. During this time the ground ambulance has covered more than 700,000 miles and the helicopter has logged over 7,500 hours. There have been countless numbers of patients treated by the Spirit medical transportation team, but those that responded to this call on August 27 will never forget that day.
“We got the call from Abbotsford ambulance around 4:30 p.m.,” remembered Mark Wolf, Spirit of Marshfield Flight Medic. “We were airborne to the scene within six minutes.”
Cody was in critical condition with shallow respirations, numbness and weakness to his lower extremities. During the flight his condition began to deteriorate. John Schneider, Flight Nurse, and Mark treated Cody for a collapsed lung, which immediately helped improve his vital signs. “Cody’s survival from this particular injury relied on him getting to an appropriate facility like Saint Joseph’s Hospital as quickly as possible,” stated Mark.
Cody’s injuries included several rib fractures, a collapsed lung, right arm fracture and several bruises. However, his most critical injury was to his spinal cord. He was immediately put under the care of the Hospital’s trauma team.
Dr. Sanjay Rao, Marshfield Clinic Neurosurgeon on staff at Saint Joseph’s Hospital, stated “Cody suffered permanent damage to his spinal cord from the fracture to his T4 vertebrae. Surgery to stabilize that segment of the spine was performed to prevent further neurological injury, deformity and to facilitate his rehabilitation.”
“Cody was incredibly brave through this ordeal,” shared Dr. Rao. “He has been persistent in his rehabilitation and I think with the support of his family, he will do well.”
Cody was discharged from Saint Joseph’s Hospital on September 13 to start therapy and to begin a new life at home with his father and brother. Paralyzed from the chest down, Cody uses a wheelchair, but is optimistic about his future. “No matter how much it hurts, you can still live a near normal life,” shared Cody.
Aca was transported to Saint Joseph’s Hospital by the Spirit of Marshfield ground transportation. He suffered a broken hip, fractured ribs and collapsed lung, but was only hospitalized a few days. “I don’t remember much about it,” shared Aca while playing with his model trains. “I remember playing video games in the hospital and that my legs really hurt.”
The Abbotsford/Colby rescue team was also crucial in the care of Cody and Aca. “We feel that Cody’s chances of survival were greatly improved due to the professional care provided by the Abbotsford/Colby EMTs and Fire Rescue personnel,” said Mark. “Thanks to the high standards of training and patient care protocols, and Saint Joseph’s Hospital’s involvement with local EMS agencies, Cody and Aca received the highest standard of care available.”
Although life may not exactly be “normal” for the Moss family, they make the best of each day. Cody attends fifth grade at Mosinee Middle School. He enjoys collecting cards, swimming and scuba diving. Aca is in third grade at Mosinee Elementary and loves r/c racing and model trains.
“You do different things than you used to do,” said John, “but you can still do them.”
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