Expert care helps rancher recover from severe neck fracture

Brent and Suzanne Jones and their three children live in Oakley, Idaho where Brent serves as a ranch manager for Cranney Farms.

“Brent was on his horse one day, rounding up a few cows that had gotten loose,” Suzanne recalled. “As he rode up to open the gate, his horse’s legs got tangled in some wires and he got spooked. Brent was thrown up into the air and landed on the top of his head, his neck taking the brunt of the impact.”

Without moving him, Brent’s co-workers quickly called for the paramedics. “He doesn’t remember much about the fall,” said Suzanne, “but he does remember waking up, talking, and feeling numbness in his arms and legs.” After assessing his injuries, the paramedics called for a helicopter to transport Brent to Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello.

The ER physician who reviewed the X-rays told Suzanne, “It’s more severe than we thought. To be honest, some patients don’t survive this kind of injury, and if they do, they often don’t walk again.”

Fortunately, Brent had been transported soon after the accident, so there was less swelling around his spinal cord. It was also helpful that neurosurgeon Dr. Jonathan Morgan was available at the medical center that day. It was Dr. Morgan who was thinking big – to help Brent walk again.

During the 6 ½ hour surgery, Dr. Morgan realigned Brent’s spine and vertebrae at the base of the neck and anchored rods and screws above and below the damaged area. While the injury did pinch Brent’s spinal cord, there was little damage to it.

After five days in the hospital and months of rehabilitation, Brent is walking well and on his way to recovery.

This past spring, Brent improved enough to do chores around the ranch, mainly with the horses and a few cattle. His physician believes the numbness in his hands will eventually resolve and that he will fully return to work.

“Pocatello may be a small town, but we shouldn’t underestimate the quality of medical care we have here in southern Idaho,” his wife said. “We are so impacted and forever grateful for the care provided by the entire team at Portneuf Medical Center."

Read the entire patient testimonial on the Portneuf Medical Center website.