Noah Rybak during a trip to Big Snow at the American Dream Mall.

Noah Rybak was 12 years old when his friends had to call 911. It was February 2021 when the Oradell resident had decided to go sledding. But instead of an afternoon of fun, he ran headfirst into a tree at the bottom of a hill. Fortunately, that call to 911 likely saved his life.

Once at Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center, Noah’s parents, Chaim and Jodi, quickly realized that their son had suffered something more serious than a broken bone.

“We went back to the room where Noah was and there were so many people,” Jodi said. “There were like 20 doctors and nurses, and officers from the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department who were with the ambulance that brought Noah. Our heads were spinning.”

Doctors discovered that Noah had a depressed skull fracture with life-threatening brain bleeding.

Noah suffered a depressed skull fracture following a sledding accident in 2021.

When Time Is of the Essence

A multidisciplinary team that included pediatric neurosurgeon Catherine Mazzola, M.D., pediatric plastic surgeon Robert Morin, M.D. and surgeon and trauma medicine specialist Jyoti Sharma, MD, quickly got to work, scheduling a surgery where they would remove a blood clot from Noah’s brain and elevate and repair the skull fracture.

“Time was of the essence,” Dr. Mazzola said.

While the surgery was a success, the medical team needed to put Noah in an induced coma with a breathing tube in order to facilitate recovery, according to Amy Chirico, M.D., pediatric critical care medicine specialist in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at the Children’s Hospital, who treated Noah during the five days he was in an induced coma.

“That helps keep the brain as inactive as possible to allow it to heal. Families want to know how the patient is doing, but until they wake up, we don’t really know,” she said.

Noah Rybak hits the slope at Big Snow.

An Unforgettable Moment

While everyone was hopeful, no one could have been prepared for what happened when Noah came out of the coma. Typically, when a patient is brought out of a coma, they are tired and confused. But not Noah.

“When we were finally able to wake him up, his eyes were closed and I was saying, ‘Noah, squeeze my hand.’ Noah responded, ‘How strong?’ He did remarkably well for the extent of his injury. It was really wonderful.”

Jodi adds: “You sit there for days wondering if he is going to talk when he comes out or if he will know who we are. When he said, ‘How strong?’ I knew he was going to be exactly the same, because that’s something Noah would say.”

Noah was transferred to a rehabilitation center a little more than a week later where he started his rehabilitation.

“(Noah’s rehab) started slow with many long nights, but then it just took off,” Chaim said. “By the end of his therapy in March, he was playing basketball with the therapist.”

Noah has been able to resume many of his favorite activities since his surgery.

Support Through Recovery

Noah graduated from sixth grade with the rest of his class just four months after the accident. At the Spring Fling dance, he danced the night away, and he’s back to sports and other activities.

“We’re going to make a video to be shown at the schools and PTA about our story and what happened to raise awareness,” Jodi said, wanting to make sure that Noah’s story is a chance to talk about winter sports safety.

The Rybaks said that, in addition to the first-class medical care, their community plays a big role in helping them get through this traumatic experience. Friends and family created #TeamNoah signs and spread them around everywhere: front lawns, windows, schools and community centers.

“It really lifts your spirits and shows that people care,” Chaim said. “I’ll never forget one night I came home, and I had to take the dog for a walk. Every house I walked past had a Team Noah sign, and it hit me: That’s for my son.”

Next Steps & Resources

As the No. 1 children’s hospital in New Jersey, we are ready to get kids, like Noah, back to being kids. To learn more about our world-class pediatricians, 200-plus pediatric specialists, and extensive pediatric programs, visit hackensackmeridianhealth.org/kids. 

• Meet our sources: Catherine Mazzola, M.D. and Amy Chirico, M.D.
• To make an appointment with a doctor near you, call 800-822-8905or visit our website.
• Learn how our pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) teams work to return children to health as quickly as possible.

The material provided through HealthU is intended to be used as general information only and should not replace the advice of your physician. Always consult your physician for individual care.