On the quick flight to Belfast, the flight medic got more concerned about Ryan's condition. His breathing was deteriorating, and he was going to need a ventilator soon. For now, oxygen was keeping him stable. "Too long without help," the medic muttered. "He may never get back to the group." He didn't know much about Celtic Thunder, but he knew they were incredibly popular in the US. He had to keep it quiet that he had a celebrity on board, but he also needed to let the doctors at the hospital know what they were dealing with. He didn't dare say anything over the radio, as he knew reporters could sometimes listen in on the channels they used. Any hint of an injury to a famous singer and the hospital would be mobbed.
As they landed, he decided that he would tell the hospital staff once they were inside the treatment room. The trauma team met him on the landing pad and rushed Ryan into the emergency room. The medic gave them the medical rundown and then said, "One other thing - this guy is an international celebrity. He's one of the Celtic Thunder singers. You're going to need to stay quiet on this one."
One of the nurses scoffed. "Oh, come on. An international celebrity from the Moy? You're joking, right?" The doctor said, "What's Celtic Thunder?"
The medic was rapidly losing his temper. "Look, the paramedic who handed him off to me is a mate of his and he's the one who told me. He was worried sick, you could tell. I don't know a lot about Celtic Thunder, but I know Phil Coulter founded the group…" That got their attention. "They've done a bunch of filming for the US public television stations and they're incredibly popular there. Just be careful with him, and for heaven's sake, don't go shouting his name around where people can hear!"
"Good thing Kelly's a common name," one nurse said. "If we just say 'Mr. Kelly', he could probably be any one of a couple of thousand folks who could end up here."
They were now in the treatment room and assessing their patient. "We've got to intubate," said the trauma specialist, "His oxygen levels are dropping too low." They needed to put a tube down Ryan's airway to his lungs so they could get him on a ventilator to regulate his breathing. "I want the chief anesthesiologist in here to do this one, NOW! We've got to go between his vocal cords, and I don't know about you, but I don't want the responsibility for damaging them."
An urgent call was made, and the requested specialist arrived and performed the procedure flawlessly. Now that Ryan's breathing was under control, they could start the numerous scans that would tell them the extent of his injuries.
Meanwhile, Ryan's parents, brother, and sister were converging on the hospital waiting room. His brother Raymond made the discovery that Ryan's friend Mari, who had access to his professional Facebook page, had put up a status saying that he was in the hospital and asking for prayers. They quickly contacted her to take it down.
"We're going to have to call Sharon," Raymond said.
"Not yet," said his father. "I want to at least be able to give her some idea of how badly he's injured."
"Da, they're supposed to be in Atlantic City in a few weeks. I think it's pretty unlikely that Ryan will be able to go, don't you? She'll need some time to get things sorted out."
His father sighed. "I know, Ray," he said. "But let's give them a little time to find out what they can. She's going to be devastated as it is, at least if we can give her some real information, more than just 'he was unconscious when they put him in the ambulance', she'll have something to go on."
"One more thing," said his mother. "I don't want anything going out to the fans until we know more. And nothing that doesn't come directly through us. We need to give Sharon information and let her know what she can release and to whom." They all agreed that this was best - they all knew that once the fans knew, things could rapidly get out of hand. They could only hope that not too many had seen Mari's post.
A long hour later, the trauma specialist came out and asked for the Kelly family, then took them to a private room. "We're aware that Ryan is well-known, and we're taking pains both to be sure he gets the best of care and to keep his presence here a secret," he assured them. "Now, on the good side, he does not have any spinal injuries or injuries to his limbs, nor any internal injuries." That brought a sigh of relief. "However," and his voice became grave, "He has a skull fracture and a severe head injury. There is bleeding under the membrane that directly covers his brain. This is putting pressure on his brain. It's affected his breathing severely enough that we've needed to put him on a ventilator. He is currently in a coma."
"Oh, God," said Mr. Kelly, and they knew it was a prayer. "What's going to happen? Is he…is he going to die?"
"Not if we can help it," the specialist assured him. "There are medications we can give him to help keep any brain swelling down. We can regulate his breathing and, if need be, his heart rate. We're going to be closely monitoring the pressure and the extent of bleeding in his brain over the next few days, and if necessary, we'll do surgery to correct that."
"Do you have any idea when he might wake up?" asked Mrs. Kelly quietly.
"Not for quite a while, certainly," said the specialist. "In fact, it is far better for him if we keep him in the coma for a prolonged period, using medications to control how deeply in coma he is. This gives him the best chance for healing and for limiting any permanent brain damage." They all gasped. "You have to be aware," the specialist said seriously, "That there is a chance that he will never wake up. He could die; he could remain permanently in a coma, or he could awaken but with some level of permanent brain damage. There is also a chance that he could recover completely. There is simply no way to tell what the outcome will be right now. Most likely, we are looking at a recovery period of months or years rather than days or weeks."
The family sat, stunned. The specialist said gently, "I wish I could give you more definite information, but we simply don't have it right now. Ryan is being moved into intensive care. One or two of you may be with him at all times, but family members only, and there may be times when we will ask you to leave the room for medical procedures. You may stay here for a few minutes, and I've asked for one of our chaplains to come to take you to Ryan's room once he's settled."
"Thank you, Doctor," Mr. Kelly said. After the doctor had left, he said, "Now I need to call Sharon. I wish I didn't."
"Do you want me to handle it, Da?" asked Raymond.
"Thank you for the offer, but no. This is something I need to do."