Robin has now completed over 2 weeks in the hospital and hit some amazing milestones recently.
Deputy Hopkins sustained a single gunshot wound from a high-powered rifle bullet to her left thigh very high up and close to her left hip. The bullet passed completely through her thigh and, in the process, shattered her left femoral bone and completely destroyed most of the arterial and venous blood vessels in her left leg that provide blood flow to and from this extremity. A tourniquet placed by her fellow deputies and officers on her leg stopped the massive bleeding, and BCFD medics from Station 30 transported her to UNMH.
Deputy Hopkins has had vascular surgical repair to the arterial and venous blood vessels that could be saved to restore blood flow to her left leg. She has undergone several surgeries to help treat swelling in her leg and maintain the viability of her thigh and lower leg muscles and has now finally been able to have all the surgical wounds closed.
The broken femur is being managed with an special orthopedic device temporarily to stabilize the broken bone, and she plans to have the final repair of her femur performed within the next few weeks.
The night before the Marine Corp birthday, Robin was trying her best to sing the entire Marine Corp hymn, and a nurse asked her what she was singing. While Robin began to tell her about the birthday she was celebrating, the nurse mistook the story and thought it was Robin’s Birthday. So she started to tell the rest of the staff about it being Deputy Hopkins birthday, and they even wrote “Happy Birthday” on her board in her room. Robin could only smile and laugh at the confusion and it was finally cleared up. But she also got a great birthday gift soon after…a new bed!
Robin has been confined to laying down for the past couple of weeks, and with the majority of her vessel and artery repair complete, she should now be able to more regularly sit up in bed. It sounds like such a small thing, but it is usually the small things in life that can bring the biggest smiles!
Robin still has a very long road in front of her, including more surgeries to now repair the shattered bones, and then a lot of rehabilitation to get her back to her original state. We all believe in Robin and know that if anyone was made for this hard road, it is her.
This type of catastrophic injury has been treated by the best doctors in the state, and they are doing an amazing job, with the help of some of the best nurses and tech’s around. But I also want to applaud the deputies who have given Robin a 24 hour guard, her family and friends (including her military reserve unit) who have added 24 hour personal care to Robin’s needs, and to her husband, who has held together the continued full time care of their one year old, during this difficult time. Robins toddler son was so pumped yesterday because mommy was so happy, that he even reached out for a fist bump before he left, which made Robins face absolutely light up.
Happy Veterans Day to all of you that have served or are serving now.