Peter Damon’s Road to Recovery

Peter Damon, a student at Pennridge High School, was only two weeks into his sophomore year when he was struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Diamond Street and Township Road in Sellersville. He was immediately taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital with serious injuries.

Upon his arrival at the hospital, Peter underwent two brain surgeries to stop the bleeding and reduce the pressure. He also had three blood transfusions and remained in critical condition. Peter was placed in a medically induced coma.

Peter is described as an “energetic, funny, engaged, and all-around good kid” by Pennridge Assistant Principal, Mr. Hegen. After receiving the news from Peter’s mother, Mr. Hegen immediately offered to help in any way possible. “I visited him the following week and he was hooked up to every machine imaginable,” he stated. “And just a week later, he was remarkably only hooked on two.” He continued to show improvement as he was able to move his legs and respond to prompts with a “thumbs up”.

Peter spent nearly three weeks in a rehabilitation facility. He returned home late October following his final surgery on his skull to replace the bone they removed to release the pressure in his initial operation.  As of November 15th, Peter has been completing eight hours a week of home bound instruction showing positive progress.

Brain Steps, an organization that helps school districts with students overcoming brain injury challenges, has been instrumental in Peter’s recovery. They are working with him to retrain his brain and stimulate the triggering of previous memory.

Mr. Hegen described Peter’s recovery as a “positive process” given the severity of his injuries. Due to his progress, Peter could return to the Pennridge hallways as early as this upcoming spring. Fellow students are supporting his recovery by wearing “Team Peter” bracelets which are being sold for $1.00. All proceeds will go to Peter and his family to help with his medical expenses. If you would like to contribute to the donations, see Mr. Hegen in the Main Office.