Stockton Palmer was on his way to work on May 21, 2025, when a street sweeper cut him off on the freeway near St. George. His car spun out of control, leading to a broadside collision with the street sweeper and another vehicle.
The damage to Palmer’s car was so bad that first responders had to cut into the vehicle to remove the 27-year-old safely. He was immediately taken to St. George Regional Hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Most of his ribs were broken, his hand was broken, and one of his lungs had collapsed. But the most concerning injury by far was a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Palmer had a large cerebral hematoma—or a large collection of blood—putting his brain under dangerous pressure. Surgeons removed a portion of his skull to prevent further brain damage.
Even with these life-saving measures, Palmer’s family and boyfriend, Brandon, weren’t sure if he was going to make it through the first night.
Two days after the accident, Palmer started to move his hands and respond to pain. On the third day after his accident, he opened his eyes for the first time. While these were important milestones, he was unable to speak or communicate and had a long road ahead.
Palmer spent 26 days in the ICU at St. George Regional before he transferred to Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital in Salt Lake City. Getting to that point wasn’t easy. His insurance wouldn’t cover anything more than a care center where Palmer would make little to no progress. It took multiple phone calls from Palmer’s provider in St. George, assistance from staff members at University of Utah Health, and his mom’s tenacity to get him there.
On June 19, 2025, Palmer arrived at Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital in Salt Lake City.
Kim, Palmer’s mother, had a conversation with a nurse that immediately gave her hope.
“Here’s my son who is unable to open his eyes or communicate or stand, and this nurse pats his foot and tells me, ‘It’s okay, he’ll walk out of here,’” Kim said. “It gave us all the hope in that place to fight hard. It just altered the course of it all for us.”
Palmer was immediately put to work by a group of therapists who got him up on his feet.
“There were four people holding him up, and they made him stand for one minute,” Kim said. “That was how therapy started, and I loved the intensity.”
Palmer’s care team was impressive. Derrick Allred, MD, brain injury medical director at Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital, played an important role in Palmer’s care. Allred specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of brain injuries such as traumatic brain injury, disorders of consciousness, and neurologic disorders.
Countless others—nurses, medical assistants, speech therapists, and other staff members—also brightened Palmer’s road to recovery. Two stand out to Palmer and his family: physical therapist Emma Graddy and occupational therapist Kelsi Toly.
“I met Stockton day one when he came in,” Graddy said. “At that point, he was responding to pain, but there wasn’t anything else we were getting from him.”
When she first met Palmer, Graddy was working at Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital in the physical therapy neuro-residency,.
“We were moving his body for him and waiting for him to emerge and wake up,” she said. “We played a lot of music and relied on his family to be there to talk to him and help stimulate his brain.”
Toly works on the brain injury specialty team. She helped develop the coma recovery program—also known as the disorders of consciousness program—designed for patients who are recovering from a severe TBI that results in a comatose state.
She and Graddy worked as a team to give Palmer the best care possible.
“It takes all hands on deck to do treatment like this, and sometimes it’s three or four people helping hold him up,” Toly said. “But it’s so important for the brain and the body to get stimulation like this and get up out of bed.”
Palmer made an impression on both Graddy and Toly from the very beginning.
“Even though he couldn’t speak that much, he had such a vibrant personality,” Graddy said. “We were all just obsessed with him. He was so cute and funny, and so sassy.”
Graddy and Toly worked hard to find silliness and joy when they could.
“We joked and we found lightness in that situation, and I just genuinely enjoyed being around him,” Graddy said.
Many members of Palmer’s care team wore matching T-shirts that day, courtesy of Kim. The shirts said “Oh my hell. Love, Stockton.”
Working with Palmer was a career highlight for both Graddy and Toly.
“The eye rolls, the smiles, and the laughs were the best,” Toly said. “You could see his personality shining through anytime we were in therapy.”
When Palmer was stable enough, he had surgery to replace the bone that had been removed from his skull. After surgery, he continued physical therapy and occupational therapy and started speech therapy. He became more independent and did much more of his own self-care.
Multiple field trips outside of the hospital helped Palmer readjust to the real world. He practiced getting in and out of (and riding in) a car. He went grocery shopping. And he even had a special therapeutic outing to Red Butte Garden.
As a result of his accident, Palmer has Broca’s aphasia, a condition that impacts communication.
“His comprehension is there, so if we ask him yes or no questions, he can answer,” Kim said. “But finding the words to communicate beyond that is quite difficult.”
He did regain a few words and phrases quickly. “In the beginning, he couldn’t say much of anything, but he could say, ‘Oh my hell’,” Kim said. “So, he would say that about 50 times a day.”
Palmer left Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital on September 18. As predicted, he walked out of the hospital. He had help: Brandon held his arm as they exited the hospital. But Palmer walked all the way to the car.
“I could have never imagined that when he first came in,” Graddy said. “It was such a dream.”
Palmer and Brandon moved back to their home in St. George in February. Brandon works from home, so he can help Palmer continue his progress. Between 15 hours of therapy, three to four gym visits, and daily walks, the days and weeks fill up quickly.
“I mean, he’s got a long way to go,” Kim said. “But he’s doing it. He’s getting there, and to see how far he’s come is absolutely amazing.”
Countless miracles have occurred along the way.
“You have to recognize that God has just literally been there through it all,” Kim said. “From the beginning I knew—I just knew—he was meant to be at the rehab hospital. Getting him there, meeting the amazing providers, it has been life-changing for all of us. We’re so grateful.”