Texas Children's Hospital multidisciplinary approach helps teen in trauma recovery

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Ryley Hoffman is considered somewhat of a miracle. The 17-year-old found herself in the fight for her life back in October of 2015.

"At first I just felt something go over me but I wasn't sure what was happening and then I realized it," said Ryley.

Ryley had been run over by a pickup truck as she watched planes near Intercontinental Airport. She was brought to Texas Children's Hospital because of the severity of her injuries.

"She had a lacerated liver, lacerated kidney, broken ribs, and collapsed lung," said Robin Hoffman, Ryley's mother.

Ryley spent 74 straight days at Texas Children's enduring 10 surgeries, several stays in the Pediatric Intensive Care Units and intense rehabilitation sessions. A total of 24 different services were involved in her hospital care.

"Every single service here including our medicine specialty has touched Ryley in some way because of her injuries," said Cassandra Mueller, Physician Assistant at Texas Children's Hospital.

Now, Ryley is doing outpatient rehabilitation and continues to meet with the hospital's trauma team for her follow-up visits.

"Ryley still has a lot of physical therapy to go to. She is, because of her lengthy hospital stay, severely deconditioned, and she still requires a lot of physical therapy and occupational therapy to get to where she was pre-injury," said Brian Whitaker, Physician Assistant at Texas Children's Hospital. "But we expect Ryley to make a full recovery."

Months before she was struck by the pick-up, Ryley had the word "Yes" tattooed on her arm.

"All of my physical therapists and doctors and everyone would remind me, yes Ryley you can do this. It is really cool to have and it kept my faith going through all of this," said Ryley.

It's a symbol that helped her and her mother, who got a similar tattoo, during the long recovery. It's a recovery that she and her family say would never have happened if not for her tremendous support system.