Young Boy Makes Miraculous Recovery After Severe Crash Lands Him at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Days Before Christmas

A severe crash that happened on December 19, 2022, in Miramar sent Jacob, 7, to Memorial Regional Hospital/Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Level 1 Trauma Center. He suffered a brain injury, several extremity and pelvic fractures and multiple organ injuries in his liver, heart and kidneys.

Upon arrival, trauma doctors and surgeons worked quickly to save Jacob’s life, providing resuscitation and intense critical care to address his injuries. Due to the extent and severity of Jacob’s injuries, his expected survival and recovery were slim, and long term prognosis likely poor, if he survived.

His father, Anthony Estrada and other members of his family stood vigil that day, praying for his recovery, and they have remained by his bedside ever since.

For the past two months, Jacob has been at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital under the care of doctors from many specialties and medical personnel of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Intensive care doctors have worked diligently to help him overcome his brain injury and get him medically cleared to move on to his inpatient rehabilitation phase.

Today, with the care of multiple medical experts, the support and love of his family and his resilience, Jacob is walking on his own after discharge from Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.

“This is a true team effort, caring for Jacob truly brought the hospital together,” said Tamar Levene, MD, associate program director, General Surgery Residency Program, who was one of the many surgeons who operated on Jacob upon his trauma arrival.