HOUSTON \u2013 As electric bikes and scooters become more popular among teenagers, doctors are warning families about the risk of serious injuries, especially traumatic brain injuries.<\/p>\n
One Houston-area teen knows those dangers firsthand.<\/p>\n
Halle Neely was riding her electric scooter without a helmet when she crashed, suffering a severe head injury that required emergency brain surgery.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was riding my scooter without a helmet and I guess when I was turning, I slammed my head really hard on my right side,\u201d Halle said.<\/p>\n
Her mother, Heather Neely, said the impact was immediate and severe.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can tell she didn\u2019t have time to brace herself for impact. It was straight… like she went straight onto her head,\u201d Heather said.<\/p>\n
Halle\u2019s family rushed her to a local emergency room before she was flown by Life Flight to the Texas Medical Center.<\/p>\n
After multiple CT scans, doctors discovered bleeding in her brain.<\/p>\n
Dr. Peter Yang, a pediatric neurosurgeon with UTHealth Houston and Memorial Hermann, performed the surgery that saved Halle\u2019s life.<\/p>\n
Yang said Halle\u2019s case is one of many serious head injuries he has treated involving electric scooters and bikes.<\/p>\n
According to Yang, a common factor in many of those cases is that riders were not wearing helmets.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe overwhelming evidence that we have in our experience and our anecdotal experiences is that helmets are protective of the brain and the skull,\u201d Yang said.<\/p>\n
Doctors say traumatic brain injuries can range from mild concussions to life-threatening emergencies that require surgery and lengthy recovery periods.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, Yang said Halle made a full recovery and is not expected to experience long-term effects from her injury.<\/p>\n
Now, Halle and her family are sharing their story in hopes of preventing similar accidents.<\/p>\n
They want other riders to understand that wearing a helmet can make the difference between life and death.<\/p>\n
Medical experts encourage parents to ensure children wear properly fitted helmets whenever riding electric scooters, e-bikes, bicycles, skateboards or other wheeled devices.<\/p>\n
For Halle and her family, the message is simple: a helmet could save your life.<\/p>\n
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