Memorial Health honors trauma survivor with victory lap

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Staff at Memorial Health’s level-one trauma center honored motor vehicle collision survivor Dakota Ivey with a special “victory lap” through the hospital Friday.

Dakota was critically hurt in a wreck in May 2025. He spent about a month at Memorial before transferring to the Shepherd Center for rehab.

Friday, he returned to the trauma bay, meeting again with the EMS crews who first brought him in. Dakota was also recognized as Memorial Health’s “trauma survivor of the year.”

“The owner of this company, she called and said that Dakota had been in a really bad accident, didn’t know any details, and he kept calling Dakota’s phone until somebody answered and they said ‘get to Memorial Hospital,’” said Amanda Ivey, Dakota’s mother.

“It took them two hours to get me out but they got me out so I’m really really thankful people were working that day. I think God put everybody in that position for a reason,” Dakota Ivey said.

Memorial says Dakota is still on his recovery journey but is making strong progress. The hospital plans to continue honoring survivors like him each year during trauma awareness month.