It’s quite a difficult feat to live in Salem and have never have heard of the Strebe children and their terrible accident, followed closely by their miraculous rehabilitation. Months of recovery and readjustment were needed to get their lives back on track, and one of the many groups that helped to make sure they had this normalcy again was the first-responder flight paramedics who quite possibly saved their young lives.
The Strebe family met these responders for the first time since the accident Dec. 19 at Salem Memorial District Hospital.
In October of 2016, Kirsten and Elias Strebe were involved in a rollover accident on Hwy. P that left them both with serious, life-threatening injuries. The road to their recovery was long, turbulent and inspiring, but they are still suffering from consequences of the accident.
Elias took the brunt of the impact during the accident, resulting in a broken hand and pelvis, as well as skull fractures and bleeding in the brain that both children sustained. The day of the reunion he walked close to the hip of his grandmother, Darla, and still suffers from expressive aphasia, which can make speech difficult. Today he is a member of the National Honor Society, as well as a cheerleader for Salem High School.
Kirsten, once highly involved in sports at Salem, suffers from short-term memory loss and total hearing loss on her right side. Physically she has improved dramatically, no longer needing the assistance of a cane to walk, reports her mother, Julie Strebe. Kirsten is attending school at Southeast Missouri State University for occupational therapy, after graduating as valedictorian from Salem High School.
The Lifeline flight crew that initially hauled Elias and Kirsten away from the scene consisted of pilot Bryan McCart, medic and brother to the pilot, Mike McCart, and nurse Jonathan Stenger. The three landed at SMDH Dec. 19 in a flurry of propeller blades as their helicopter landed, a sight that the Strebe kids were not conscious to see that October day in 2016. Elias and Kirsten shook the hands of the crew, as did their parents, Julie and John. The crew invited the children into the cabin of the copter, this time as smiling passengers instead of critical patients.
Throughout the reunion jests and smiles abounded, particularly Kirsten ribbing at her grandfather, Jerry Heyn. Kirsten said with a smile how she likes to keep her grandfather on her deaf side, that way she doesn’t have to hear him. Heyn spoke to the EMT flight crews directly about how they changed the lives of the Strebe family.
“I’m not an extremely religious man, at least I wasn’t,” Heyn said. “But I will tell you that after this event and finding out what everyone did, you can rest assured that every single night before I go to bed I say a prayer for every first responder, every medical technician, nurse, doctor... I just thank them, and I pray for the safety of everyone involved. You never know what the next hour will bring, and I pray my hardest for every one of you.”
Many other crews assisted in the transport and care of the Strebes, including highway patrolman who responded to the crash, trooper Jeff Leathers and corporal Kyle Wilmont. Another crew flew Elias from SMDH following seizures in the spring, including Teresa Click, Jamie Dunn and Reagan Hendricks, who were all present at the reunion.
Julie Strebe had much praise to give to the crews involved, acknowledging how much different the scenario could have been if her children had not received the quality of care that they did from the Lifeline crew.
“What you guys do is incredible. We are so grateful,” Julie said. “This is what your work has done. I want you to know how much that matters.”
Bryan McCart was the pilot at the time of the transfer and was delighted to have a reunion with the children and his crew.
“I’ve been flying EMS for nine years now,” McCart said. “I can honestly say I appreciate you reaching out to us and asking us to come back. This is the first time I’ve ever come back to meet a patient we have flown.”
Throughout the trials and tribulations that Elias and Kirsten faced during this journey, overwhelming community support was there to help lift them up. A GoFundMe campaign raised over $50,000 to help pay for medical costs, and weekly prayer groups were held. Today these two teens are living a full and vibrant life, albeit with some reminders of their accident. These two bright students have an even brighter future ahead of them, all thanks in part to the work and talents of the people who made their recovery possible.
