Former AtlantiCare Trauma Patient Meets Those Who Saved His Life

First Photo caption: Pictured left to right are: Trooper Ron Leach, pilot, SouthStar; Jeffrey Anderson, MD, ARMC trauma surgeon; Robert Snyder, 24 of The Villas, former trauma patient; Jill Wood, of Egg Harbor Township, Snyder’s mother; Christian Snyder, 6, Rob Snyder’s son; Gen Deltieure, flight nurse, Virtua SouthStar. Robert Snyder and his mother Jill Wood returned to ARMC Atlantic City Campus on February 3, to thank the care team for saving his life after he was critically injured in a car accident last year.
ATLANTIC CITY– Jill Wood, of Egg Harbor Township, credits first responders and the care team at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center with saving her son’s life last year. Wood returned with her son, Robert Snyder, 24 of The Villas, to ARMC Atlantic City Campus February 3 to thank those who took part in his care during his hospitalization last year.
Snyder, was operating a 2002 Honda Civic westbound on Fulling Mill Road in Lower Township with his 2-year-old son Jayden, when they were in a head-on collision with another vehicle.

Lower Township Rescue and AtlantiCare paramedics responded to the scene. The New Jersey State Police MedEvac, SouthSTAR, based at Virtua Voorhees, transported Snyder to the Harrah’s Regional Trauma Center at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center Atlantic City Campus.
Snyder had multiple injuries, including to his head, chest, abdomen, left elbow and right wrist. The team needed to amputate part of his left leg, replace his left hip and remove his spleen. ARMC’s Trauma Team and AtlantiCare’s Neurosciences Institute Team, also at ARMC Atlantic City Campus, cared for Snyder in the hospital until he went to Good Shepherd Penn Partners Philadelphia, February 24, 2010 for his medical and physical rehabilitation.
Snyder’s son was transported to Cape Regional Medical Center where he was evaluated and released.
“Rob’s birthday is November 5,” explained Wood. “But I celebrate January 4 – the day the ARMC team saved his life – as his second birthday. So he is 24 dash one.”
Wood has been caring for her son at her home since the accident. She said he had just passed a fitness test for the Air National Guard before the crash. “He was very active and he loved to work out. He’d always be at the gym.” She said seeing her son go from being active and independent and having a dream of being in the National Guard, to dealing with a year of rehabilitation, being in a wheelchair and having short term memory loss has been difficult.
Wood spends three to five days a week at the AtlantiCare LifeCenter in Egg Harbor Township with her son. He swims in the facility’s warm water therapy pool up to two hours at a time and uses the fitness floor for walking and strengthening.
“I am thankful that he is alive,” she added. “I wanted to celebrate that with the doctors, nurses and everyone at ARMC who made that possible.”
ARMC doctors and hospital staff along with the Virtua SouthStar flight crew gathered on the Sixth Floor of the George F. Lynn Harmony Pavilion to greet and reunite with Snyder and his family, who brought a cake decorated as the Operation® board game that read “Thank You.”
The crowd applauded while Snyder took a short walk around the atrium to exhibit his progress. He stopped when he came to Jeffery Anderson, MD, trauma surgeon, Harrah’s Regional Trauma Center at ARMC, to offer him what he called, “A proper hand shake.”
“He seems to be doing great,” said Anderson. “To have him not only walking but mentally functioning is fantastic. This is what it’s all about.”
“Thank you for saving my life,” said Snyder to those who gathered. “I’m still a little rough when I walk, but I’m going to get better.”