When retired Arnold Police Officer Ryan O’Connor was shot in the head by a burglary suspect 15 months ago, his prognosis was dire, but he has continued to surprise everyone, surpassing all the expectations for his recovery, his wife, Barbara, says.
“Everyone who sees him talks about what a miracle case he is,” she said. “When we initially started out, we were told he would never walk again, never talk again, never breathe on his own, would never understand anything that was said to him, and none of that is true.”
Ryan, 45, can walk short distances on his own, though he also uses a two-wheel, motorized wheelchair. He also is able to have conversations and move his left arm.
Barbara, 40, said a lot of her husband’s progress wouldn’t have been possible without the support of BackStoppers, which helps families of police officers, firefighters and other first responders who are killed or seriously hurt in the line of duty.
Thanks to Jefferson College’s JCTV, she got the chance to share her message and thank BackStoppers when a video she pre-recorded was played at the Jefferson County BackStoppers Membership Banquet, held Saturday at the Festus-Crystal City Elks Lodge No. 172. (See story above).
The O’Connors originally planned to attend the banquet, but they had to miss it to travel to Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colo., so medical staff could evaluate Ryan’s recovery.
But, on March 6, before they left, the O’Connors visited the college’s studio on the Hillsboro campus, and Barbara recorded her message so it could be played at the banquet.
In that video, Barbara, who remembers that terrible day on Dec. 5, 2017, like it just happened, recounted the details leading up to and following the shooting.
She described the sounds she heard as her husband got ready for work that day, and she recounted the phone conversation she had with him about an hour before the burglary suspect, Chad Klahs, 29, shot her husband in a patrol vehicle on the Arnold Police Department’s parking lot.
Klahs then turned the gun on himself and later died.
Barbara talked about traveling along Jeffco Boulevard while on the phone with a friend in law enforcement and then seeing four police cars escorting an ambulance onto Hwy. 141.
She recalled texting her husband to see if he was OK because she knew an officer was in that ambulance. And, she described her friend calling her back to tell her it was Ryan in the ambulance she had seen go by.
Barbara recounted how she gathered their four sons – who are now 18, 12, 7 and 6 – and rushed to the hospital, getting there just in time to see her husband before he went in for surgery.
Since then, Ryan has undergone five surgeries and fought off seven infections, including two septic infections, Barbara said.
She also remembered how BackStoppers was there from Day 1 to support the O’Connor family.
Next steps
While the O’Connors are at the Colorado hospital, medical staff members will not only assess the progress Ryan has made so far but also will help set new goals for him.
Barbara said one of the main goals now is for Ryan to regain the use of his right arm, and he has a new device that should help. The device, which was developed at MIT, is a MyoPro brace from the Myomo (My Own Motion) company in Massachusetts.
“It is a device that fits on the outside of his arm and it has sensors,” Barbara said. “It picks up on trace muscle signals that he actually has. It amplifies any movement that he tries to make. It is training his brain so he can start to use that arm again in a functional sense.
“While his brain is learning to make the pattern of movement, it is strengthening his own muscles at the same time. It is not bypassing his body; it is using his body.”
Another goal for Ryan is to improve his speech and ability to communicate, and Barbara said the family will travel to Florida this summer so Ryan can work on his speech at a specialized aphasia clinic, where he will receive one-on-one therapy five hours a day for eight weeks.
“It is such a unique opportunity, and we are so thankful that we get to do it,” Barbara said. “They will work on speech and communication, using a computer, using a phone, all of the things we do every day and never even think about. That is something he will get to do again.”
Delivering the message
Donna Litton, treasurer for the Jefferson County BackStoppers chapter, said she wanted to make sure Barbara’s story was heard at the banquet. So, she reached out to Jefferson College President Raymond Cummiskey, who put her in contact with Jefferson College media specialist Matt Keeney.
“It came to our attention that they needed the help, and we were happy to help out,” Keeney said. “(BackStoppers) does a lot of excellent work.”
Keeney said he was happy to film the O’Connors and edit the recording.
For the presentation, Barbara recounted the events that led up to and followed the shooting, but she also talked about going to Colorado after the shooting for Ryan’s extensive physical therapy and returning to the St. Louis area – the family lives in Fenton – and how BackStoppers were still there to continue helping the family.
After Barbara thanked BackStoppers, Ryan, too, shared a few words about how BackStoppers has helped his family.
“Boy, was that true,” he said.
Barbara asked Ryan if he wanted to add anything, and he did.
“Oh, well. The BackStoppers is true and all the support is donated. And I thank you from …” and after taking a moment to compose himself, “from my heart,” he said.
Supported
Barbara said she felt privileged to have the chance to share her story and let people know how much BackStoppers has meant to her and her family.
“We are an example of the help BackStoppers gives to law enforcement families,” she said. “There is no way we could continue on without the support of BackStoppers. Making sure people know about BackStoppers is an honor for us to tell how we are an example of that love and that help.”
Barbara said the family has been amazed by the support they have received from not only BackStoppers but also from other organizations and the Arnold community, which have held countless fundraisers to benefit the family.
When the O’Connors are out, Barbara said, people approach them to say how happy they are to see the family, and on more than one occasion, someone has paid their bill at a restaurant without telling the family about it.
Barbara said one encounter that really stands out involved a woman who said Ryan had helped her family after a loved one died at their home.
“She said her husband was about to fall apart, and Ryan sat with him for four or five hours while they waited for the medical examiner to come,” Barbara said. “She said he just said the most comforting things and sat and held her husband’s hand. They talked about fun times and really just kept him engaged, so he wouldn’t fall apart. She said, ‘I can’t tell you what that meant to our family.’”
Barbara said she feels the same way about the support her family has received.
“The fact that we have so many people in different organizations that just continue to pour support into our family is unbelievable,” she said. “I can’t tell you how much it means to us.”
Barbara said the Gary Sinise Foundation, for example, has committed to building a smart home for the family in Fenton.
“It is going to happen at some point,” Barbara said.