Achieving Dreams with Strength, Faith and Tenacity

“To say our family has been changed through this journey is an understatement,” Cheri Hassenstab says. “Life was very quickly put into perspective with Emmett’s accident. We will always be grateful for our moving arms, legs, hands, fingers, wrists and ankles. We will always be thankful for all of the amazing people we have met through this experience.”

Tom Hassenstab adds, “The impact that Craig Hospital had on our family was life changing. And that’s why choosing to donate to the Craig Hospital Foundation was a very easy decision for us. We love giving to organizations that change peoples’ lives—which is exactly what Craig does.”

An Unexpected Emergency

The Hassenstab family’s journey began back in May of 2021. After completing his junior year at Skutt Catholic High School in Omaha, Emmett traveled to Sanibel Island, Florida, with his best friend, Jake Hegge, and Jake’s family. The plan was to spend a week in Florida, enjoying the lazy days of summer.

On the very first day of vacation, Emmett, Jake and Jake’s cousins hit the resort pool. Emmett dove into the shallow end of the pool at a sharp angle, smacking his forehead on the bottom and immediately sinking. While still conscious on the bottom of the pool, he quickly realized he couldn’t move his body.

One of Jake’s cousins saw Emmett on the bottom and told Kristin Hegge, Jake’s mother and a former ER nurse. Recognizing that something was wrong, she yelled at Jake to grab Emmett and bring him to the surface.

Jake immediately pulled Emmett from the pool floor and another adult, who was a physician’s assistant, helped lift Emmett from the water.

Within a few minutes, an ambulance arrived to rush Emmett to the fire station to meet a helicopter, which would fly him to a hospital in nearby Fort Myers. Kristin then called Emmett’s parents, who were vacationing in Colorado with family. They caught the first flight out of Denver and arrived in Florida several hours later.

Emmett’s MRI confirmed an incomplete C3-C4 spinal cord injury. While Emmett’s doctors in Fort Myers recommended a wait-and-see approach to his injury, his family decided to act. They phoned a family friend, who connected them with a spine surgeon in Philadelphia who agreed to do surgery on Emmett, operating one week after Emmett’s accident and fusing his C3 and C4 together with titanium.

Finding Craig

About 10 days later, Emmett flew to Craig for spinal cord injury neurorehabilitation. “We looked at several rehab hospitals, but we decided on Craig because it was close to my family and because it offers an adolescent program,” Cheri explains. “We felt like having teenagers close in age to Emmett would be helpful for his recovery, and we were right.”

She adds, “At first, Emmett said he had no interest in spending time with other teens at Craig, but on our first day, four boys in wheelchairs rolled into his room to welcome Emmett to Craig. After hanging out as a group that evening, Emmett turned to me and said, ‘Mom, this is going to be great. I’m happy to have friends in the same boat as me.’”

While at Craig, Emmett worked tirelessly. With his sights set on walking again, he eagerly and diligently participated in seven hours of therapy a day, including occupational therapy, physical therapy and aquatic therapy. “While he wasn’t originally thrilled with the idea of getting back into a pool after his accident, Emmett overcame his fears and spent a lot of time working in the pool,” Cheri says. “In fact, he spent most of his time at Craig working.”

In early July, his efforts began to pay off when he took his first unassisted steps, wearing just a gait belt. The Hassenstabs were ecstatic. “Seeing your toddler walk for the first time is memorable, but seeing your 17-year-old walk for the second time is emotionally indescribable,” Tom recalls.

In addition to numerous therapies, Emmett spent time in the teen recreation room playing pool and air hockey with his friends. He also met with Laura Magnuson, Craig’s donor-supported School Program teacher, once a week to prepare for his senior year. “They talked a lot about what returning to school would look like and made sure Emmett had any needed accommodations in place,” Cheri says.

In mid August, Emmett moved into his parent’s donor-supported family housing apartment and participated in outpatient therapy for one week before being discharged. About 90 days after his accident, Emmett walked out of the hospital on his own—and headed home to Omaha without a wheelchair.

When Emmett returned home, he continued seeing a rehabilitation doctor and a physical therapist. “While he had always dreamed about being a Division 1 track and field athlete in college, it became clear that his coordination was not what it once was,” Cheri explains. “But he accepted this and decided to attend the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. He just finished his sophomore year and currently owns a window washing business with a partner.”

Feeling Grateful and Blessed

Looking back on 2021, Cheri says that Emmett’s accident put a lot in perspective for the Hassenstabs.

“The accident made our family much closer,” Cheri says. “We are a spiritual family and relied on our faith to get us through. Emmett is a true miracle—and we all feel so lucky. Craig gave Emmett the freedom and assistance to work as hard as he wanted. They supported him 100 percent and gave him the guidance and confidence to achieve his goal of walking again.”

Tom adds, “Leaving Craig was so difficult because it felt like we were leaving our family. We saw firsthand how Craig helps patients recover and get their lives back. They are true experts, and we feel forever grateful for what they did for Emmett and for our entire family.”

To learn more or donate to help Craig patients like Emmett, please visit craighospital.org/foundation/help-patients.