Travis Smith

April 30, 2022, was a life-changing day for Travis Smith. Travis lived independently and worked in the oil field for a casing company.

Travis loved working in West Texas with a crazy schedule. He liked the unpredictable hours he worked and that he followed in his dad’s and granddad’s footsteps working in the oil field. Travis enjoys working hard, handing out with his friends, and has always loved music. In high school, he played the cornet in the marching band.

That fateful day, Travis was on a casing job outside of Jal, New Mexico. It was about 2:30 am, and he was up on a derrick when his speech turned to gibberish, his balance was off, and his arm wasn’t functioning. He collapsed on the platform, unconscious.

Travis had a stroke.

Fortunately for Travis, his co-workers jumped into action. They loaded him into their truck and began to rush him to the hospital. But realizing the severity of the situation, they called an ambulance to meet them. The ambulance transported Travis to Kermit Hospital. Unable to pinpoint what was wrong, he was airlifted to Medical Center Hospital in Odessa, Texas.

Travis’s family arrived at the hospital, and as his mom and dad assessed the situation, they knew it wasn’t good. Travis’s eyes weren’t focusing, and his face was drooping. Only 34 years old, the medical team didn’t think it could have been a stroke. But after an MRI, they quickly determined the next steps.

Time was of the essence, so Travis was airlifted again, this time to Covenant Medical Center in Lubbock to meet with Dr. Grupke. Reviewing the procedure with Travis’s parents, Dr. Grupke explained that he would go through the groin and up through Travis’s leg to remove the blood clot in his carotid artery. And though Travis was young and strong, a lot of time had passed with blood flow interrupted. Dr. Grupke told Travis’s parents there was the possibility he wouldn’t survive the night. There was also the potential that Travis would develop brain bleeds and swelling. They needed to keep a very close eye on him.

Travis spent the following two weeks in the ICU. His mom, Cheree, and his aunt and cousin took turns sleeping in a chair to be there to support him. Unfortunately, Travis began having brain bleeds and swelling two days after the initial clot removal, and he underwent another surgery. This time, they removed the left side of Travis’s skull and froze it until the swelling subsided. The surgery was a success, and Travis spent several more weeks in the neuro unit at Covenant.

The medical team told Cheree to begin looking for a rehabilitation facility and offered several recommendations. Two of Travis’s aunts are nurses, so they made some phone calls. Every call they made directed them to Trustpoint Rehabilitation Hospital of Lubbock. So Cheree and her sister came to Trustpoint to tour the facility with Mindy Harendt, the hospital’s director of marketing and business development. “Mindy answered all of our questions and was very instrumental in our decision,” Cheree said. They talked things over after the tour and determined they didn’t need to look any further because “Trustpoint was where Travis needed to be!”

When Travis arrived at Trustpoint, he still faced a very long and challenging road to recovery. He spent two months in the inpatient rehabilitation hospital, receiving physical, occupational, and speech therapies. Then, ready for his cranioplasty, Travis discharged for the procedure before returning to Trustpoint for another two weeks of rehabilitation.

“We cannot say enough about Trustpoint,” says Cheree. “Everyone from Dr. Wolcott, Sara (case management), Becky (speech therapy), Sara (speech), Teagan (OT), and Sam (PT), all the amazing PTs/OTs, maintenance, and cafeteria workers, all knew Travis and made us feel loved and well taken care of. They continuously asked about him, and all wanted to see him succeed with great outcomes.”

“Travis is so comfortable with all the nurses and therapists at Trustpoint,” Cheree continued. “The team conferences were huge in our eyes. Everyone kept us updated on Travis’s progress, and communication was amazing! The support from other families that are going through trials has been so helpful. We have developed friendships, and it helps to know that you are not alone in this journey. It’s nice to talk to other parents and share information.”

“After discharge, we knew Travis still needed intense outpatient therapy. Sara worked very diligently, trying to find therapy in Midland, but there was a long waitlist. We decided that it was worth the weekly drive to Lubbock to come to Trustpoint for our outpatient therapy. Becky pays close attention to detail and sends us home with packets to work on during the weekends. The therapy here is absolutely amazing.”

As a result of his therapy at Trustpoint, Travis has made significant strides in his recovery. He can now transfer to the bath and bathe himself, to the toilet, and in and out of the car. Travis’s goal is to walk unassisted, talk, and regain the use of his right arm and leg.

With a past that included martial arts and kickboxing, Travis possessed the discipline and determination he needed to work hard and get better. His sister is involved in his therapy, as well, taking him to her Pilates studio and working with Travis on weights and stretching. Everyone has been instrumental in Travis’s progress as he continues his recovery journey.

With Travis’s past in martial arts and kickboxing, that discipline has given him the determination to work hard and to get better. Travis’s sister is involved in his therapy as well – she takes him to her Pilates studio and works with Travis on weights and stretching. Everyone has been instrumental in his progress as he continues this journey of recovery.