Germantown teen survives, overcomes traumatic injury from a fall to make it to see Taylor Swift

May 16—Summer fun turned tragic for Germantown teenager Olivia Kozuszek when last June she fell 25 feet off a water slide and suffered a severe neck injury.

"I just remember flipping in the air, and I landed on my neck, and it all went dark," Olivia said about her accident. She landed in the water, unable to move, she said.

"I kept telling my friends I couldn't move," said Olivia. "I was afraid I was paralyzed because I couldn't feel anything...It was really scary."

When a nearby emergency room tried to send her home after finding nothing wrong, Olivia's mom Heidi, trusted her gut and got a second opinion.

"I just said I don't think that's right. So I asked if we could go to Dayton Children's," Heidi said.

Dayton Children's Hospital is the region's only level I pediatric trauma hospital. The children's health system highlighted the importance of this care on National Trauma Survivor Day by sharing how their providers helped Olivia heal properly.

"She was still having this neck pain, this numbness and pain in her arms," nurse Scott Wyenandt said about Olivia when she arrived.

Dayton Children's found, through doing a CT scan and an MRI, Olivia had a bruise of the spinal cord, but that wasn't all.

"Secondly, she had a rupture of the ligaments in the back of the neck that hold her neck in place," said Dr. Robert Lober, pediatric neurosurgeon at Dayton Children's. The injuries also called for a medical intervention.

"This was going to be an unstable situation. It wasn't going to heal on its own," Lober said.

Her injuries did not stop her from pursuing the activities she loves, including going to see Taylor Swift perform in Los Angeles. In order to make it to that concert, though, Olivia had go through surgery to make it to her recovery.

"She chose to have surgery on her birthday," Heidi said.

Olivia, on her 15th birthday, woke up in her recovery room to find it decorated in all things Taylor Swift, she said.

The surgery included separating some of her muscles in the back of the neck and correcting the alignment of Olivia's spine, Lober said.

"The recovery's long, and there's neck pain afterward," said Lober, who added Olivia also had to do physical therapy for awhile during her recovery.

Olivia was hospitalized for two weeks, and she continued physical therapy throughout the summer last year.

Now, Olivia is back to being herself, Heidi said.

"She's doing perfect," Lober said. "She has no pain. She has really good alignment of the spine."

Not only can she walk after her accident, but Olivia has been able to return to sports 100%, her mother said. Olivia, who is also an athlete, got cleared to do cheerleading and softball at Valleyview High School.

"She's a miracle," Heidi said.

Dayton Children's was certified for the second time in November 2023 as a pediatric level I trauma center by the American College of Surgeons.

Level I is the highest trauma level attainable, and Deborah Feldman, president and CEO for Dayton Children's, said this verification shows the commitment to care of their trauma team, which includes Dr. John Crow, trauma medical director, and Amy Schopperth,trauma program manager.

"They not only treat the injuries but provide long-lasting healing for body and soul. Our trauma providers live our mission of the relentless pursuit of optimal health for every child within our reach," Feldman said.