“A two-year-old can always surprise you – let’s give it a try!”Little Olli (2) has an accident in Mexico – this is what his doctor says about the miraculous survival

Horror accident in Mexico turns the Staub family’s life upside down

“Oliver is the most beautiful and wonderful child, full of personality,” says the doctor. „His parents wanted to give Olli a chance and fight for him. They did everything they could to keep him alive.”

Since the horrific accident on April 17, nothing has been the same for the Staub family. Their white Toyota van collided with an armored money transporter in Zihuatanejo, and Olli suffered a severe spinal cord injury. „The doctors in Mexico told the Staub family at the time that they should consider donating Oliver’s organs because he was as good as dead and there was no hope left,” reports Dr. Bydon, head of neurosurgery at the University of Chicago Medicine. „The connection between the head and spine at the level of the second segment C2 was completely severed and elevated – a very dangerous condition.”

Oliver is flown to Chicago on a special flight

But Olli’s parents, Stefan and Laura Staub, are fighting day and night for their little boy. “Stefan and Laura are very diligent in their care and have practically kept Olli alive by taking great care not to move his head,” says Dr. Bydon. Olli’s parents had been told that he would never be able to move again. „Then they got in touch with me. I told them that it was a very difficult case with a poor prognosis. The parents had been told that Olli would never be able to move again. „Then they got in touch with me. I told them that this was a very difficult case with a poor prognosis.

But a two-year-old can always surprise you – let’s give it a try!” At the beginning of July, the Staubs had Olli flown to Chicago on a special flight, where Dr. Bydon – together with other specialists in neurology, plastic surgery, and laryngology – was to operate on him. „Our first step was to stabilize Olli. Because the doctors in Mexico had ended his treatment at the clinic as if he were about to die and donate organs,” recalls the spinal cord expert. „After that, Oliver’s personality really started to shine through, and he was a great joy to everyone at the hospital. No matter how long we worked, we all always said goodbye to Olli at the end of our shift.”

Dr. Mohamad Bydon: Olli is a “celebrity” at the clinic

Then came another shock for the Staubs: their little son suffered a stroke and cardiac arrest as a result of the operations. „Oliver had a difficult time after the two operations, but then he recovered significantly and made great progress,” says Dr. Bydon. „Fortunately, his stroke left no lasting effects, and his heart is beating strongly again after the arrest.” The fact that the two-year-old can once again “squeeze both of his parents’ hands” surprises even the experts. „We never thought that this would be medically possible.

Olli has long been “a celebrity” at the clinic, reports the neurosurgeon. „Everyone loves and sees Oliver, he has a huge personality. He loves wearing sunglasses and always asks his father to put them on him. His family is wonderful, Stefan and Laura are the most dedicated parents.”

Dr. Bydon hopes that the boy will continue to make progress and may even be able to push himself in a wheelchair or use a cell phone later on. „He could continue to surprise us—we are eager to see how he continues to develop.” What Olli has already gone through and achieved is extraordinary. „Many people around the world are looking at his special case.”

Olli could soon be discharged from the hospital

Stefan and Laura Staub are grateful to Dr. Bydon for the progress their little Olli is making. „We have been given the chance to live as normal a life as possible,“ they say. ”As parents, we are doing everything we can. The road to get here has been difficult, and life will be a challenge. But Olli will be able to participate in our lives in a wheelchair, and perhaps much more.”

After treatment at the hospital, Dr. Bydon would like to enroll Olli in a research program to give him the best possible recovery: „Rehabilitation is very important in Olli’s condition, and he is very suitable for new stem cell studies and other forms of treatment.” The renowned neurosurgeon and scientist has been treating spinal cord injuries for many years and has conducted the largest stem cell studies to date in the US. He is certain „that Olli’s case will be studied for many years to come.”