In law enforcement and in medicine, they say mentally preparing for the worst can help you stay one step ahead of it. But even when the worst happens – like it did to Officer David Gordon – that mental fortitude can be a lifeline, helping you find your way through to the other side.
A routine traffic jam almost killed the highway patrol officer when a reckless driver turned it into a life-altering accident. But David’s years working in law enforcement, coupled with UC Davis Health’s expertise, provided him with the mental preparation and incredible care team that helped him overcome adversity against even the smallest of odds.
A dream since the eighth grade
David spent a decade working in architectural design, but his heart and mind kept wandering back to a police ride-along he did in the eighth grade. He knew desk life wasn’t for him, and he also knew he possessed the characteristics required to be successful in law enforcement: grit, perseverance, intelligence, and determination. After attending the Police Academy and completing field training, David joined the select few to become a California Highway Patrolman. And he didn’t look back for the next 13 years.
A life changed in an instant
The Police Academy taught David to prepare for the worst on the job, like a routine traffic stop turning into unexpected conflict. “If you’re not already mentally in the fight, then someone else already has the jump on you,” he explains.
Even so, David took pride in always trying to see the best in people and taking the approach of listening first. He was always thinking of the bigger picture: stopping disaster before it happened.
One night in 2019, David and his partner were responding to a DUI in Yuba County when they received a call that a railroad crossing arm was down and stopping traffic nearby, so they headed to help. When they arrived on the scene, David began directing traffic.
All of a sudden a drunk driver lost control coming around a bend in the road, and collided with David at a speed of more than 70 miles per hour. The next thing he knew, he was waking up in the hospital.
“I was always aware of the dangers of being hit by a car. I was more worried about that on the job than getting shot at,” David says. “I was always keeping my head on a swivel and not getting complacent. But I didn’t see this coming.”
UC Davis Health provides life-saving care with compassion
When David woke up in the ICU, he had a long list of serious injuries: a compound fracture of both bones in his lower left leg; nerve damage in his foot; a fractured pelvis; severed vertebrae; broken ribs; a broken wrist; a broken jaw; a broken right scapula; and a traumatic brain injury.
“I’ve been at crashes where people have been hit at much lower speeds and they ended up dying,” he says. “I don’t know how I made it, but the only thing I can think of is that someone was watching over me and by the grace of God.”
David was initially transported to a local hospital, but due to his injuries he was life flighted to UC Davis Medical Center, home to the only level I trauma center in California north of the Bay Area. He spent 53 days in the ICU and an additional 73 days in physical therapy and rehab. During that time, he was constantly surrounded by family, friends, and co-workers, but he holds a special fondness for the care team at UC Davis Medical Center and the little things they did daily to help him persevere.
“The nurses were unbelievable,” he says. “They’d take me out for walks. They’d take me outside and play music and turn my face towards the sun. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”
David had five surgeries over the course of his stay under the care of Dr. Mark Lee and the orthopaedic trauma team, many on his bones but also to remove his spleen to stop internal bleeding. But even with the scrapes and bruises starting to heal, so much of David’s former life was seemingly out of reach.
“Even though I may have known deep down inside that I wasn’t going to be able to get back in the patrol car, getting back to work was such a big part of what drove me to try to become better,” says David.
One step at a time
One type of conflict that the always-ready David couldn’t prepare for was the internal battle where his mind was saying yes, but his body saying no. After leaving the ICU, David was transferred to the rehab floor under the care of Dr. John Dorsett, where he built up his core strength to re-learn how to sit in a chair, stand up, put on socks, and many other motor functions so many of us take for granted.
“It was like someone asking you to go push a bulldozer, and you know there’s no possible way you can do that, but everyone’s saying, ‘Yes, you can,’” he remembers.
Every day, David made the active choice to push through rehab and physical therapy. With the assistance of his nurses, physical therapists, family, friends and so many others, he was able to leave the hospital after roughly 126 days — it was a departure that proved harder than expected, because it meant saying goodbye to the kindness and expertise of the care team that helped him rediscover his strength.
“The nurses were unbelievable. They’d take me out for walks. They’d take me outside and play music and turn my face towards the sun. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”—David
New passions uncovered
The care of the UC Davis Health team didn’t stop at the walls of the hospital. Members of the on-site care team visited him at home as well, working to ensure that he could return to everyday activities like caring for his dog and family. To help with his therapy, David credits his care team with encouraging his woodworking again, which gave him productive and creative purpose as he continued to gain mobility.
David always had it in his sights that he’d return to the job he loved. It was one of his primary motivators that got him through recovery and rehab. He did finally return for a time to office work at the precinct, and active duty or not, he had already left a lasting legacy protecting the citizens of California, especially against drunk drivers. In fact, the radio call sign for calling in an arrest is 1015, and on October 15, 2021, David officially retired from law enforcement.
With more time at home with his wife and family, David enjoys taking his family’s travel trailer on the road to visit the National Parks, and runs a small business selling his woodworking creations. Most of all, he’s thankful that the incredible care he received at UC Davis Health helped him return to those he loves, knowing now more than ever before to not take anything for granted.