Dhon’s Story
About Dhon
Dhonavanh Calvin Cain, known as the famous “Dhon” is a recent graduate of South Albany High School. He is known for his large personality, resilience and kind heart. He moved to Oregon from Nebraska in 2020 to live with his brother Duece Phaly and live out his high school years in a new part of the country.
The Tragic Accident
On March 7th, 2024, he was tragically struck by a car on the highway in a motor vehicle vs pedestrian accident. His friends helped performed first aide to keep Dhon alive until the paramedics arrived. He then was rushed to the ER in the McMinnville hospital, life flighted to the ER at the Salem Hospital and finally life flighted to the ER at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland.
The Injuries
During each hospital visit the night of the accident, doctors repeatedly said he was in critical condition and that “Dhon might not make it”. The trauma team at Legacy after hours of operating was able to get Dhon stable enough to not need any immediate major operations. The initial major injuries included a Diffuse Axonal Brain Injury (DAI) which is under the category of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), brain bleeding, a collapsed lung, two broken legs, multiple torn knee ligaments, two breaks in his arm, and fracture vertebrae. The major surgeries and procedures to address these injuries have been successful except the DAI/TBI.
Next Steps
Dhon was not showing any major signs of consciousness after those surgeries and procedures were completed, but his rehab team was very persistent. Nurses and doctors monitored his progress and kept him comfortable as possible. Dhon received all his needs met from feeding, moving, hygiene and more. He was deemed fully medically stable after a couple months which means he was no longer needing to be in a hospital setting. So the care team were on the journey to find what was next for Dhon. There was a plan to be in Omaha, Nebraska for a special brain rehab center. That fell through due to insurance. We ended up in a group home in Corvallis, Oregon.
Dhon’s Progress in a Few Months
Before his discharge on June 20th to the group home, Dhon had lots of significant events. Dhon was making slow progress in his alertness including opening his eyes, moving extremities and responding to specific stimuli. Not on a consistent enough basis to communicate or show patterns but we were seeing progress nonetheless. Dhon got to experience a hospital prom thrown for him by the nurses and friends. He also got to be at graduation and accept his diploma. Not the ideal way to have those senior year high school experiences but they made the most of it.
New Group Home & 8 Month Progress
Dhon has been in the group home in Corvallis, OR since discharge and has been adjusting to a new environment. There is 24 hour staff and a 24 hour nurse who provides his needs as he is still yet to do anything on his own. He has an established rehab schedule with outpatient speech, physical and occupational therapy. Dhon also attends acupuncture each week. Overall, Dhon is adjusting well like the true warrior he is. He seems more relaxed and alert since being at the group home. He is having more full body movements on his own, longer wake cycles (eyes open), better eye tracking, showing a smile, and having new reactions to new stimuli.
Faith, Gratitude & Journey
The journey is a long one, but we are in it for as long as God wants us to be. Dhon’s care team, family and community are always looking for ways to help improve Dhon’s condition and give him all the experiences we still can. We are thankful to have Dhon with us today and for all the love and care we have received during Dhon’s recovery journey.
