She and her daughter, Emma, then 7, were driving home when a truck crashed into their car. Both were injured; Emma suffered multiple fractures and was left paraplegic, paralyzed from the waist down.
After emergency surgery and a stay at UC Davis, Trish faced a critical decision: where to take Emma for intensive rehabilitation.
“We talked with so many people, and they all said the same thing: if it was their kid, they’d go to Shriners Children’s,” Trish said.
A meeting with Maya Evans, M.D., medical director of the inpatient rehabilitation program at Shriners Children’s Northern California, sealed the decision.
“She is a ray of happiness and energy,” Trish said. “She made us feel comfortable and confident in our choice.”
That choice marked the beginning of a six-year partnership that helped Emma return to the activities she loves.
Emma spent months in the inpatient rehabilitation unit (IRU), the only pediatric IRU in the region. For children with neurological or orthopedic conditions, the IRU offers three hours of therapy a day, five days a week. For Emma, that meant twice-daily physical and occupational therapy with trusted faces: physical therapist Laura van Houtryve, PT, and occupational therapists LaTanya Burnett, COTA, Mary Ann O'Dell, OTR/L, and Pauline Ng, MOT, OTR/L, CHT. Pet therapy brought visits from Yogo, a therapy dog Emma loved.
“They don’t just take care of the patient – they take care of the family,” Trish said. “A kid does better when their family does better.”
That support extended beyond the hospital walls. Emma’s care team visited her home to assess safety and equipment needs.
Over the last six years, that support has only deepened.
At the center of Emma's care is Loren Davidson, M.D., medical director of the pediatric rehabilitation program, and Vedant Kulkarni, M.D., assistant chief of orthopedics.
“Dr. Davidson has a soft-spoken strength and confidence that makes me feel okay – he’s going to be able to manage whatever comes,” Trish said. “Having him and Dr. Kulkarni is like having a safety net on the trapeze of life.”
“Emma is a remarkable young lady who is incredibly bright and mature beyond her years,” Dr. Davidson said. “I have had the privilege of taking care of Emma since her accident and continue to marvel at her and Trish’s synergy and resilience. They navigate adversity with grace, and I believe there is no limit to what Emma will be able to achieve.”
Dr. Kulkarni, who has performed surgery on Emma for multiple fractures, knee contractures and ankle contractures, added: “Emma is an exceptional individual, and her mother, Trish, has done a phenomenal job of raising her through very difficult medical challenges.”
Emma’s treatment has included abdominal surgeries, guided growth surgeries, fracture repairs, annual ultrasounds and botulinum toxin injections. Through it all, she has kept her spirit. Nurses say she sings Queen songs as she receives anesthesia before surgery.
Pediatric Orthotic and Prosthetic Services (POPS) staff made Emma a special hip-to-leg ankle-foot orthosis with movable knee articulating parts that could lock to help her start walking.
They don't just take care of the patient – they take care of the family. A kid does better when their family does better.
Now 14 and headed to high school, Emma is a straight-A student who throws herself into everything she loves: archery, horseback riding, swimming, jazz band on trombone, weightlifting, water skiing with a world-champion team, and hiking in Yosemite and Yellowstone.
She is also an artist. While in the IRU, she created a painting by shooting paint from a syringe onto a canvas, later displayed at the Palo Alto Art Museum.
“She has always felt like the same person – just in a wheelchair,” Trish said. “She has a great group of friends, goes to dances and has big plans.”
Emma is considering careers as a biology teacher or a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician.
“If anyone can do it, it would be Emma,” Dr. Davidson said.
When Emma returned to school, Shriners Children’s Northern California's re-entry program made all the difference. A presentation by her therapists helped her transition seamlessly back to class.
And they never receive a bill.
“We never wondered if a recommendation was based on coverage or what she actually needed,” Trish said. “It’s such a weight lifted.”
For families just beginning their journey, Trish offered this: “Everyone knows someone who needed medical care and might not have been able to receive it. When you donate to Shriners Children’s, you know that money goes to proper care. It could be your child one day, and Shriners Children’s is there to help.”
“She’s resilient and brave,” Trish said. “My goal is to help her become a self-sufficient adult – and with Shriners Children’s, I know we’re on the right path.”
Emma's dog sits next to her during a photo shoot for Canine Companions.
