Ethan, however, proved resilient and strong. “There were so many ups and downs, it was just a roller coaster ride,” Misty said. It was just terrible.” Ethan also contracted meningitis,and the Fields family was unsure about what Ethan’s mental and physical condition would be once awakened from the coma. Ethan stayed in a coma seven days, a period of time that Misty said was “impossible to describe. After putting Ethan into a medically-induced coma, doctors installed a bolt in the boy’s skull to further reduce the swelling. “We were told (at the hospital) that they couldn’t tell us for sure if he was going to pull through,” she said. The initial prognosis wasn’t good, said Misty. A CT scan at Savannah Children’s revealed two skull fractures, a broken neck and significant brain swelling.

“They knew he was badly injured and needed a CT scan.” The Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter was summoned to Portal to meet the ground ambulance, and Ethan was transported by air ambulance to Savannah Children’s Hospital.

“The back of his head started swelling like a grapefruit, and his breathing was shallow,” Misty said. John Fields called 911, and a ground ambulance crew was soon on the scene administering to the child. Although no one actually saw him fall, she said Ethan slid off the side of the vehicle, and his head hitting the pavement with what she described as a sickening thud. “Literally, every second.” Misty said Ethan was riding on the back of a Mule being driven by his father along a road in Portal. “Every second counted in Ethan’s case,” she said. With its stated mission of providing rapid access to health care following medical emergencies, Air Evac Lifeteam more than lived up to its mission, said Ethan’s mother, Misty Fields. His injuries were deemed life-threatening, and the Air Evac Lifeteam crew was called to transport Ethan to Savannah Children’s Hospital in order to save his life. Nine-year-old Ethan Field suffered two skull fractures and a broken neck after falling off a Kawasaki Mule on June 16 while riding with his father John and three of his siblings. A leisurely utility vehicle ride turned into a horrific medical emergency recently for a Portal family.

Portal 2 with ethan