On the night of May 1, 2013, Travis Warrick, a 21-year-old professional bullfighter, was rushed to the emergency room after an unfortunate accident while in the arena. From Texas, Warrick had grown up around rodeo and has much experience in bullfighting.

“I always knew that injuries were part of the game,” Warrick says. This injury in particular happened after the bull came after Warrick. Both were caught in an awkward position and Warrick came down head first onto the bull’s horn, leaving him with extensive skull and brain injuries. Paramedics rushed to the scene and asked Warrick simple questions to test his coherence level, which Warrick passed with flying colors. Although Warrick resisted going to the hospital at first, it was his friends and partner A.J. Lutz who insisted he go—and he was lucky he did. When brought to John C. Lincoln Hospital, under the care of Dr. Gianni Vishteh, it was found that he suffered a depressed skull fracture and his head CT scan showed an epidural hematoma on the right side of the brain. “Travis came to the hospital alert and awake but quickly became comatose,” Dr. Vishteh says. A lucid interval after a brain injury means that the patient regains consciousness and appears to be completely normal, but the condition can soon after deteriorate and descend into unconsciousness. The doctor began to operate on the right side of Warrick’s brain to take the bleed out and repair it with titanium plates and screws. Warrick’s father and grandmother were there to give support and care after the surgery, and he was fortunate to have a remarkable recovery after only spending five days in the hospital. Along with a facial scar, he experienced the normal side effects of headaches but no other residual effects. Warrick expressed thanks to Dr. Vishteh and the hospital saying, “I had a phenomenal experience at John C. Lincoln and with Dr. Vishteh. They not only took amazing care of me but of my family. They did a great job.” From the moment Warrick recovered, he has been eager to return to bullfighting. He doesn’t like to look back, keeping his focus on the future. He is excited to get back into the game January of next year.

Story by Samantha Giunta