HOUSTON (May 28, 2025) — Kerri Millhollin and David Rivera share a zest for life and a deep love for family. Today, they also share the profound distinction of trauma survivors. Both have overcome devasting traumatic injuries thanks in part to the medical care each received at Harris Health’s trauma hospitals—Ben Taub and Lyndon B. Johnson.
On May 30, both will join fellow survivors at Harris Health’s annual Trauma Survivors Celebration, a collaboration with the Harris County Hospital District Foundation. The event honors patients who have overcome horrific injuries and reunites them with many of the caregivers who supported them. It coincides with the end of National Trauma Awareness Month.
For Millhollin, the ordeal began a few months ago in February when she was involved in a violent highway crash. The wreck caused her vehicle to flip and be struck again by an oncoming truck—ejecting her from the car.
“The only memory I have is the sound of metal scraping,” she recalls. “I couldn't remember the last three weeks prior to that. I was with my boyfriend during that time. I didn’t even remember him.”
Millhollin was rushed to Harris Health Ben Taub Hospital with critical injuries including a severe scalp degloving (a traumatic tearing away of skin and tissue), multiple broken ribs and the amputation of fingers on her right hand. She underwent 10 surgeries and spent 40 days hospitalized.
With extensive rehabilitation and strong support from her family and medical team, Millhollin continues to make strides in her recovery and is determined to reclaim her active life.
Rivera, a pipe fitter on oil rigs, was out with his wife looking for a new house in 2023. While driving through an intersection, their vehicle was T-boned. Rivera, the driver, took the brunt of the impact.
“I remember it all,” he says. “The airbag blew, and I couldn’t move. Next thing I know, I was in the ambulance.”
He was taken to Harris Health Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital with a broken sternum, multiple broken ribs and other internal injuries.
“I have a disease that my bones break easily, so it was hard on me,” he recalls. “The sternum injury, however, hurt the most—imagine trying to breathe with your chest broken.”
After a week in the hospital, he was discharged to continue recovery at home. Determined to return to a normal life, Rivera gradually rebuilt his strength and mobility—eventually back to his job. But his challenges weren’t over. He later suffered a stroke that brought him back to the hospital.
“I woke up one day and was paralyzed on one side of my body,” he recalls. “I later found out I had a stroke due to my high blood pressure.”
Although the car accident was traumatic, Rivera says the stroke was even more life-altering. Now, he continues healthy life changes and is taking time to focus on what matters most—his family.
“I lived at work, and I think I pushed my body too much. But the stroke caused me to slow down,” he says. “I want to be here for my family and spend time with my grandkids. My advice to others would be to try and live a stress-free life. I get it now.”