The family pays tribute to the doctor who saved the child’s life

LINCOLN, Neb. (COLOGNE) – When a Lincoln toddler fell to the ground and suffered a severe brain injury, his parents were scared, but they trusted a Nebraska neurosurgeon to save their son. What followed was a miracle and the family found a special way to express their gratitude.

Benjamin Barton-Wallace shows no signs of what happened to him on that day in November 2021. He fell, hit his head, and his brain was bleeding. His parents had to airlift him to Omaha Children’s Hospital to save him.

“I was bracing myself for maybe the last time we kept him alive,” said Donna-Jen Barton, Benjamin’s mother.

There, neurosurgeon Dr. Arnett Klug worked on Benjamin for hours.

“I remember we were very, very focused on being efficient and accurate,” Dr. Klug said. “Because we knew Benjamin didn’t have that much time.”

After much waiting and prayer, Benjamin came out of surgery.

“He always likes colors, shapes and numbers,” said Sergio Walls, Benjamin’s father. “And the first word, he said, during the operation, when he turned around, he identified a triangle. And he said: “triangle”. And I remember turning around and saying, ‘He’s going to be fine.’

The family was and still is grateful for what Dr. Klug did for Benjamin. So they decided to honor Dr. Klug by naming him the middle name of their youngest son, Mateo Arnett.

“It was, and still is, very powerful,” Dr. Klug said. “I was named after my grandfather. Honestly, it’s impressive. It’s great that you link another family name. “

“We just felt like all the signs were pointing towards it … and we couldn’t think of anyone more perfect,” Dona-Gen said. “We’re just, once again, we’re so grateful to Dr. Klug and his team that we know this is going to be a story that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. That’s why we thought that with this middle name it is perfect to honor Dr. Klug.”

Now, the older brother Benjamin is a normal 3-year-old. She loves blowing bubbles, drawing and hugging her little brother Mateo.

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