In June 2014, Cody Ziemkowski was just shy of his 9th birthday and enjoying the start of his summer vacation. One day, he was riding his bike at a skatepark when he went over the edge of a ramp. Although the ramp was only as tall as a curb, Cody flew over the handlebars and crashed.
“Unfortunately, he wasn’t wearing a helmet,” explained Cody’s mom, Colleen. “We rushed him to an urgent care thinking he may have suffered a concussion, but it was much worse. He’d broken his neck.”
Cody was quickly transferred to the emergency department at Advocate Children’s Hospital – Oak Lawn, where the clinical team concluded he had not only fractured his C2 vertebrae but also had extensive damage to his head. He needed a craniotomy to fix a brain bleed, along with a fracture in the skull. He also had oral and nasal cavity fractures. The injuries affected the left frontal lobe of his brain.
"Dr. Dimitrios Nikas was Cody's neurosurgeon. With his expertise, steady hand and unwavering confidence, Cody received the best care possible. He spent more than a week in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), and we all got to know the nurses well. We can’t say enough good things about Dr. Nikas; Cody’s entire care team was phenomenal. Our son is here today because of them.”
The Child Life, Creative Arts Therapies, and Education department also provided support to Cody and his family during his time in the PICU, keeping him entertained and distracted with toys, games, music and art.
Cody was discharged directly from the PICU and allowed to go home to rest and heal. He had many follow-up visits, along with physical therapy.
“He couldn’t wear a halo brace for his broken neck because the damage was too extensive. They wanted him to sit still so it could heal, which wasn’t easy for an 8-year-old!”
The education team at Advocate Children’s worked directly with Cody’s school to help him transition back to the classroom.
“He wasn’t able to return to school until October,” explained Colleen. “They made sure to keep him on track so he was ready to enter 4th grade.”
In all, it took two years for Cody’s injuries to heal completely and for him to regain his previous level of mobility.
Giving back
A friend of Colleen’s made care packages that she donated to Advocate Children’s neonatal intensive care unit NICU. She asked if she could honor Cody, and Colleen agreed, adding that she’d like to help.
“We already brought toys and movies for when we came back for visits. We’d give them to whoever was in Cody’s old hospital room and the room next door. Then Cody decided he wanted to make more kids happy, especially around the holidays because that’s the worst time to be stuck in the hospital.”
“When you’re sick and in the hospital, you lose the magic of Christmas,” added Cody, who’s now 18 and thriving. “I think it’s the best time of year to collect toys and give back.”
Colleen and her family began collecting toys a few months after Cody’s injury. She created a Facebook group called ‘Helmets for Cody.’
“Cody graduated high school this past spring. He’s working full-time as a carpenter’s apprentice,” shared Colleen. “He goes to the gym every day and is very active; if you saw him, you’d never know he broke his neck when he was younger.”
To date, Colleen, Cody and their family have collected and donated more than $172,000 worth of toys. They also give to the Ronald McDonald House.
“We’re so grateful for all the care Cody received, and we’re glad we can do something to help other families in similar situations,” said Colleen.
“And I’m grateful to be alive and be able to do all the things I took for granted before my accident,” shared Cody. “I hope more people are inspired to give back, especially during this time of year.”
How you can help
Advocate Children’s Hospital is part of Advocate Health, a nonprofit organization that relies on philanthropic support to provide many programs and services, including Child Life, Creative Arts Therapies, and Education. To help kids like Cody cope with procedures, surgeries and hospital stays, please make a gift today.