TBI One Love Survivor Victor Hernandez

Hello everyone. My name is Victor and I am from California. When I was ten years old in 2009 I went on a quick bike ride around my Lemon Grove neighborhood just before my school’s open house. My life changed from being a fun childhood experience to fighting for my life in a matter of seconds after being hit by a car!

I was only out of the house for 8 minutes and about 100 yards away and a car hit me on my bicycle, and was thrown 35 feet from my bike. I was rushed by ambulance to the Sam S. and Rose Stein Emergency Care Center at Rady Children’s hospital. Once arrived my family was immediately informed that I was diagnosed with a Severe Traumatic Brain Injury,  a broken leg and broken facial bones. Once they arrived, I spent a month in the Critical Care Center and two months in the Orthopedic Rehabilitation unit.

Between January 2009 and June 2010, 37 children under the age of 15 were rushed to Rady Children’s after being hit by a car, according to the Hospital’s trauma statistics. Of these children, 24 were not wearing a helmet! The helmet is the key! If I didn’t have a helmet, there would be no way that I would have survived. The helmet saved my life.

With each day, I share my story to help save lives and be a advocate for helmet safety. Thank you TBI One Love for all you do and allowing me to join.

Learn more of my journey: https://www.rchsd.org/about-us/patient-stories/stories-2010/victors-wild-ride/