http://billingsgazette.co...03286.htmlMiles City 17-year-old recovering from rodeo injury
ZACH BENOIT Of The Gazette Staff | Posted: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 9:41 pm | 1 Comment
A Miles City teenager who was hospitalized over the weekend after a bull stepped on him during a rodeo could make a full recovery, a family member said Tuesday.
Mary Dodd said her grandson, 17-year-old Dustin Dodd, was thrown from a bull on Saturday at a rodeo in Sidney. He landed on his back and the bull stomped down on his midsection, causing severe damage to his liver.
Dustin was taken to the Sidney Health Center, where he underwent several surgeries.
"He had a tear in his liver and gobs and gobs of internal bleeding," Mary Dodd said. "Before he reached Seattle, they'd put about 30 pints of blood into him. That doctor in Sidney, he was a blessing."
Saturday night, Dustin was flown by jet to a Seattle hospital, where he's undergone several more surgeries, including one on Monday to remove a damaged piece of his liver. He's expected to have his final surgery today, and doctors told family members there's a good chance he'll make a full recovery.
"I just spoke to Dustin's dad, and he said they've been told he's making a miraculous recovery," Mary Dodd said. "The doctor's say he's hanging tough."
Dustin was thrown from the bull during the Richland High School Rodeo Club Rodeo in Sidney, said Mike Hollenbeck, national director of the National High School Rodeo Association. He was wearing a vest and helmet when the accident happened.
The NHRSA is helping the teen's family with money from a crisis fund it has set up for riders, Hollenbeck said. Miles City locals are working to set up a fund or fundraiser for Dustin's benefit.
The high school junior, also a Future Farmers of America member, regained consciousness Tuesday. Mary Dodd said his hospital stay could last up to 14 days while he recovers and that the support of the Miles City community has been phenomenal.
"The prayers, I'll tell ya, there's been millions," she said. "And they work."