Survival and strength: Young trauma patient inspires hope

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 20, 2026) — Oliver Blair was just days away from turning 6 years old. Like most kids his age, he enjoyed playing outside, wrestling with his older brother and collecting Pokémon cards. 

Oliver lives with his family in Burkesville, Kentucky, a small town on the Cumberland River. Their home sits next to a busy highway where the speed limit is 35 miles per hour. At the time, the family dog had been getting loose and running across the road into a neighbor’s yard. 

“We were always really careful when crossing or going anywhere near the road,” said Donna Blair, Oliver’s mother. “But the dog kept running across. I told the boys to stay in our yard, and I would go across and get the dog.” 

On Oct. 1, 2024, the dog ran out again. Donna planned to do what she had done many times before, cross the highway, retrieve the dog and come back. 

“I went across and knew I had made it far enough across the highway to where I felt it was a safe distance to look back and check on the boys,” she said. “And that’s when it happened. It all happened really fast.” 

Donna looked back and realized Oliver had left the yard and walked into the street. Before she could do anything to get him off the road, he was struck by an SUV traveling over the speed limit. 

Donna chased down the vehicle when it did not stop right away, running so hard she lost the shoes on her feet.  

“I remember chasing the car. I ran out of my shoes,” she said. “I was wondering why I couldn’t see Oliver. I still couldn’t see his body or any sign of him at all. I was wondering why the car wasn’t stopping. Then I finally saw him.” 

Donna was in shock. She scooped up her son and pulled him out of the road. As she held him, she noticed he was turning blue. 

“I thought he was gone,” she said. “I was crying and begging God. Then I felt like it was a divine intervention. I heard a woman from a distance yelling, ‘Does anyone know CPR?’” 

Both Donna and her husband, Chris Blair, previously served in the military and had received CPR and first-aid training. 

“I immediately remembered that I knew CPR, and that I could do it,” Donna said. “I laid him down and started CPR. I watched the blue disappear from him, so I knew it was doing something.” 

Oliver began taking shallow breaths — not much, but enough to get oxygen through his body until the ambulance arrived. Both Donna and Oliver were covered in blood. 

He was first taken to a local hospital, then airlifted to the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital. Oliver was taken to the Makenna David Pediatric Emergency Center, one of only two Level 1 pediatric trauma centers in Kentucky. 

Oliver was in critical condition. Doctors diagnosed him with a severe traumatic brain injury, a broken collarbone, fractures in both femurs, lacerations on his head and shoulder and a punctured lung. 

Both of his legs required surgery, but pressure inside his head was too high to operate right away. Doctors prioritized reducing the pressure and treating his brain injury before addressing his broken bones. 

“Early in his hospital course, Oliver’s brain injury disrupted normal control signals, causing his body to overreact at times and leading to seizure activity,” said Lauren Fulks, M.D., a Pediatric Rehabilitation physician in UK HealthCare’s Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. “His neck was unstable, so he had to wear a neck brace at all times to protect his spine and prevent any further injuries.” 

Because of his condition, Oliver was placed in a medically induced coma for nearly two weeks in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at Golisano Children’s at UK. 

“There was so much that was happening every single day, every minute, every hour,” Donna said. “It was a roller coaster ride of emotions, but lots of miracles. I was praying and crying, then I felt the Holy Spirit tell me, it was going to be okay. My husband felt the same thing. We didn't know how, and it was hard to hold on to faith, but we knew it would be okay. He was going to come out of it.” 

As the care team began lowering Oliver’s medication to bring him out of the coma, his eyes slowly opened, but his parents were unsure if he was aware of them. He wasn’t following any commands. 

The providers tried different techniques to see if Oliver could give any type of reaction, like a thumbs up, to let them know he could hear them. But even though his eyes were open, they weren’t getting any response from him. 

“His big brother, who is his best friend, really wanted to talk to him,” Donna said. “We were scared to let him see Oliver in this state, but there was one night I felt something telling me to go ahead and let them talk. So, I allowed them to FaceTime. I put him in front of Oliver and he said, ‘Ollie, show me your muscles.’ All of a sudden Oliver lifted both of his arms. It was his brother that finally got him to move and react.” 

Donna said in that moment they all went crazy with excitement, finally knowing Oliver could hear them.  

“Everybody was on board that he could definitely hear us after that,” Donna said. “From there he slowly just came back to life, and we kept praying and praying. We knew God was making a miracle happen.” 

From that moment on, Oliver continued to make progress. Once he became more stable, they were finally able to operate on his legs. Both legs were badly broken, so doctors used external metal supports to keep the bones steady, and he had to stay off his feet completely until the fractures healed.  

As he grew stronger, Oliver had to relearn basic skills, including how to think, talk, eat, swallow, walk and sleep. Eating and swallowing were big challenges, requiring a feeding tube for a long period of time.  

Oliver was then transferred to Cincinnati Children's Inpatient Rehabilitation unit to help him recover once he was more medically stable. He was admitted to their acute inpatient rehabilitation for 5 weeks. 

While at Cincinnati Children’s, he was able to focus and work with the brain injury specialists and skilled therapist teams he needed to get back into daily routines.   

“He made huge leaps in Cincinnati,” Donna said. “He started lifting his legs and talking more, everything he’s overcome is truly miraculous.” 

After spending two months in the hospital between Golisano Children’s at UK and Cincinnati Children’s, Oliver was finally able to return home.  

“All of the care we received in both places was amazing,” said Donna. “But especially the PICU in Lexington, I can’t say enough nice things they were truly amazing. We prayed over every doctor, every nurse that came and interacted with us. It was a room full of faith.” 

The Blair family’s journey home was marked by a special escort from local police and fire departments, a visible reminder of how the town rallied behind them. 

While Oliver was in the hospital, Grace Union Baptist Church installed a wheelchair ramp on their home.  

When they arrived home, he walked up the ramp into the house. He still needed a wheelchair for longer distances, but for his family, watching him take his first steps back into their home was something they weren’t sure they’d ever get to see again. 

“Now we are about a year-and-a-half out, and Oliver is still making progress,” Donna said. “His critical thinking and problem solving have been improving tremendously. He’s learning how to read now and has completed kindergarten.”

Oliver has made a return to doing the things he always loved. He’s on the swim team, jumping on the trampoline and working on building muscles with his big brother.  

“Most of a child's progress and improvement happens at home with families that maintain compliance with their home exercise program and continued skilled therapy sessions” Fulks said. “His family has done a wonderful job of encouraging him to reach and strive to return to his old activities and hobbies. Helping families navigate these big changes and watching his improvement and progress is a key reason of why I chose to do what I do.” 

His family says they are most thankful to the community of support that has been by their side throughout the entire journey both inside and outside of the hospitals. 

“I’m really inspired by everyone who showed up for us, and it helped my faith too,” Donna said. “I don't think I’ve ever felt such a strong sense of community before all this. When something like this happens everything stops, time stops and it really brings you back down. I see things differently now. I feel such a deep connection of love and support. I’m so grateful.” 

For his care team, seeing children like Oliver heal and recover is one of the most meaningful parts of the job.  

“It’s the most rewarding part of what we do,” said Ashwin Krishna, M.D., critical care physician at UK Golisano Children’s PICU. “The fact that we as a team can provide such exceptional care to children is an asset to our community. I’m extremely proud of our team for how we serve kids like Oliver and others in this region who are oftentimes experiencing their worst day.” 

 

Honoring trauma survivors 

Each year on the third Wednesday in May, the UK Trauma Program celebrates National Trauma Survivors Day to celebrate the resilience and strength of trauma survivors, alongside their families, friends and the professionals who support them. 

UK HealthCare’s Makenna David Pediatric Emergency Center sees approximately 1,300 children injured by trauma each year. This is the first year that pediatric patients and families are participating in UK HealthCare’s Trauma Survivors Day event. 

“National Trauma Survivors Day is an opportunity to honor the extraordinary resilience of survivors and their families as they journey from survival to strength after life-altering injuries,” said Amy Lambert, outreach and education coordinator for the UK Trauma Program. “This annual event celebrates not only the patients who continue healing long after the acute phase of trauma, but also the caregivers, loved ones, physicians, nurses and healthcare professionals who walk alongside them throughout recovery. Celebrating with survivors on this day allows our trauma team a chance to reflect on the power of recovery, a vital source of hope and renewal for everyone who cares for patients on what is often the worst day of their lives.” 

This year, several UK HealthCare trauma survivors and their loved ones will share their experiences at UK HealthCare’s annual Trauma Survivors Day celebration. The Blairs are one family selected to share their testimony at the event on behalf of Oliver. 

“Giving past survivors the opportunity to share their stories empowers healing, inspires hope and reminds patients and families they are not alone,” said Alissa Richey, pediatric trauma outreach and education/injury prevention coordinator at UK Golisano Children’s. “Survivor stories help bring compassion and real-life encouragement to others facing traumatic injuries and recovery.”  

While Oliver was in a coma, Donna searched desperately for stories of recovery to ease her worry but found very few. She now feels her faith is calling her to share their story to offer hope to others. 

“I want our success story to be out there,” Donna said. “I’d like to give others hope, but also, I’ve been led by the Holy Spirit... trying to follow God when I feel the nudge to do something I’d normally stay in the background of.”