Kentucky Derby winner’s spirit wins over medical staffBy
JACK IRELAND and MARTIN FRANK, The News Journal Posted Sunday, October 22, 2006 at 10:49 pm
Dr. Dean Richardson inserted 27 screws into Barbaro’s leg during a five-hour procedure May 7. AP file
KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. — On the night of May 6, the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center became the center of a nation’s attention.
Members of the print and TV media, many of whom had never heard of the veterinary hospital, rushed toward this small town.
Once there, they awaited news on Barbaro, the 3-year-old colt whose Triple Crown hopes turned to tragedy when he broke his right hind leg at the Preakness Stakes.
Barbaro underwent life-saving surgery at New Bolton the next day. In the months since, the hospital has become a destination for well-wishers and Barbaro fans.
The Kentucky Derby winner’s story and his magnetism also have touched those who attend to his daily needs and are vital to the horse’s survival.
“He definitely has a personality,” said Kasey McCafferty, the charge nurse in the intensive care unit and natal intensive care unit at the hospital. “He has bit me and kicked me. He can be feisty. He’s not nasty and he’s not trying to hurt anybody, but he’s a stinker. He can get full of himself.
“Every time you see him, you have to pay attention because he’s always messing with you. He makes you prove that you know what you’re doing. Once you do that, he’s fine.”
McCafferty was laughing when she said that, as she looks forward to seeing him every day.
She watches him bend his ears back and scrunch up his face like a kid trying to avoid eating spinach when he doesn’t like something. She said he breaks out in a sort of smile when he decides he wants to have some fun with the staff.
Barbaro has affected the other caregivers as well.
“If you do this for an extended period of time, they can get to you and get a special place in your heart,” said Dr. Evita Busschers, the resident in surgery at New Bolton.
“Barbaro has accomplished that with several people, not just me.”
Neither Busschers nor McCafferty have seen Barbaro look discouraged, even though the surgeon that saved his life, Dr. Dean Richardson, described the fractures as “catastrophic” and inserted 27 screws into Barbaro’s leg during a five-hour procedure May 7.
An accomplished facility
New Bolton has a history beyond one famous horse. The facility, which opened in 1954, features one of the world’s largest equine surgical faculties. Widener Hospital, which is part of the New Bolton Center, treats more than 6,000 animals a year.
New Bolton is a teaching facility whose staff annually sees more than 19,000 animals on farms, horse training facilities and agriculture enterprises in the region.
Dr. Corinne Sweeney, associate dean for New Bolton, chief operating officer and executive director of Widener Hospital, said the campus employees about 400, with more than 200 in the Widener Hospital.
“Doctors go out mostly to farms and cattle dairies,” said Sweeney. “They have weekend clients and regular clients they see as needed. There is also veterinary students riding along and watching on a daily basis.”
Richardson, has been involved with the Penn Veterinary School and New Bolton since he was an intern there in 1979.
His wife, Dr. Laura Richardson, owns and operates Pike Creek Animal Hospital.
“We get every form of horse here from backyard ponies, draft horses, show horses, jumpers, racehorses, retired horses,” said Richardson. “The horse industry we treat is very diverse. I recently did surgery on a quarter horse. He had stepped on a nail. It was very serious surgery. The nail had punctured the skin, gone up into his joint.
Barbaro’s case not only held the nation’s attention, it served to teach students at New Bolton.
Sweeney said Penn students spend much of their fourth year of vet school at New Bolton. This is after completing four years of undergraduate college studies.
“[Students] were observing when Barbaro had his surgery” Sweeney said. “When Barbaro was having cast changes, there were students observing. That’s a critical part of their training. Just like medical students at Christiana Hospital observing.”
Richardson made more headlines in August when he operated on Alcor, a 750-pound polar bear, in an attempt to repair his shattered leg.
While the polar bear handled the surgery, he died coming out of the anesthesia as he was being transported home.
“I’ve operated on different type animals like cows, lions, tigers,” said Richardson. “We had an elephant here for treatment and once I operated on a bald eagle. … We’ve had a camel in here. We’ve had tons of South American llama, pet pigs and so much more.”
The 700-acre New Bolton facility also houses the Marshak Dairy, the Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Medicine and Pathology and one of Pennsylvania’s Animal Diagnostic Laboratories.
‘It’s what people can afford’
Deciding on how far to go in trying to save an animal, especially racehorses, is different for a veterinarian as opposed to a human doctor.
“Money plays a role,” said Richardson. “For some people, they will spend $10,000 to $20,000 to save their dog. It’s no big deal to them.
“When animals come in here I always discuss how far [owners] want to go as far as expenses,” said Richardson. “Some racehorses are insured, but there’s very little third-party payment. There’s no social veterinary medicine. It’s what people can afford when we talk about that particular surgery. There’s certainly no medical insurance out there that could cover Barbaro.”
Barbaro’s owners, Roy and Gretchen Jackson, debated whether Barbaro should be euthanized when he developed laminitis – an inflammation of the hoof.
“To save the horse, that’s first on the list,” said Richardson. “However, when the horse is suffering and doesn’t have much chance to be happy and comfortable, you can end the suffering.”
The Jacksons live nearby, and visit Barbaro at least once a day. That is also true of trainer Michael Matz.
“He’s getting wonderful care, and they’re all doing everything they can for him,” Roy Jackson said. “There are a whole lot of responsibilities for his care. They run a wonderful operation there.”
Many involved
That operation involves many people behind the scenes.
McCafferty is one of three nurses in the ICU at any given time. She works from 7 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., caring for as many as six horses in the unit.
McCafferty had a pretty good idea that Barbaro would come to New Bolton when she watched the Preakness at her mother’s house. She saw the harrowing images of
Barbaro coming up lame not even 100 yards into the race. She saw him loaded onto the horse ambulance, with the blue tarp nearby in case he was put down on the track.
Busschers was telling her mother the same thing that night. Busschers’ mother was visiting that weekend from their native Holland.
“She had never heard about Barbaro before,” Busschers said. “She knows who he is now. She’s always asking me how he’s doing.”
Busschers was there when Richardson operated on Barbaro three times in July.
She said she has learned a lot just from watching Richardson work. During surgery, she will give Richardson the materials and instruments that he needs, and she’ll ask as many questions as possible.
“He does ask for opinions and I give suggestions,” Busschers said. “He usually listens to what I have to say. He doesn’t always agree, but he does listen.”
Both McCafferty and Busschers are grateful for this opportunity. Just like Barbaro’s legion of fans, they are crossing their fingers and hoping for the best.
But they knew they can’t get too caught up in the moment, that they have to keep giving Barbaro his daily treatments and make sure he gets the care he needs, along with the other horses there.
“He’s a fighter,” McCafferty said of Barbaro. “He never gave up. When you go to work with him every day and you look in his eyes, you can tell that he wants to live.”
Contact Jack Ireland at 324-2808 or jireland@delawareonline.com.
Contact Martin Frank at 324-2805 or mfrank@delawareonline.com.
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