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“I have learned on my journey that the human spirit cannot be discounted. The human spirit is something the doctors can't quantify. It is something they can't give a statistic on. But it is an amazing and incredible thing. You cannot beat someone down who wants to triumph."
That is Lee Woodruff speaking - from experience. She is the wife of Bob Woodruff, the now famous journalist who suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2006 while in Iraq. She and Bob wrote a book last year about their life, their crisis and their recovery as a family. The book is titled "In an Instant: A Family's Journey of Love and Healing" and it quickly became a best seller and a “best book of 2007.”
When Lee spoke of the strength of the human spirit, she was speaking to an audience of more than 600 people, and as the recipient of the 2008 Woman of Courage Award bestowed upon her by the Domestic Violence Crisis Center in Stamford, CT. Her connection to domestic violence with brain injury was highlighted in her talk by way of a little known fact: that roughly 11% of the 1.5 million traumatic brain injuries per year are caused by domestic violence.
Ms. Woodruff’s words and this news story really hit us close to home. We see the triumph of the human spirit every day here. But it isn’t every day one of CareMerdian’s patients also publishes a book about their own journey through TBI.
In his book, Life After Near-Death, Matt Stepien tells his frightening and compelling story of a rare virus that lead to a brain hemorrhage, three weeks in a coma, and a life completely transformed by this crisis.
Matt describes the book as an autobiography detailing the trials and transformations following severe brain injury. Toni Bethke at our Santiago Canyon facility where Matt was a patient in 2005 describes it as an amazing and heartwarming story of Matthew's courageous efforts and achievements after a near fatal brain hemorrhage.
Matt’s recovery took more than 2 years, but he is now living independently at home much to the joy of his wife, children and six grandchildren. Matt is employed as a civil engineer. He lives with permanent neurological damage to his right leg and to the center of the brain affecting his balance. That is the legacy of his brain injury, but as you will see in his book, he is discovering talents he didn’t – and perhaps wouldn’t otherwise - know he had.
Lee Woodruff likely summed up Matt’s feelings as well when she said at that awards luncheon earlier this week,
"How do you get through any crisis without an amazing network of friends who drop everything and will do whatever is needed? To any one of you who thought about my family in Rye, N.Y., or said a prayer, I want to thank you all. Because I firmly believe that you all brought him back to us. It really does take a village in a situation like this.”
Matt congratulations on your book – and most assuredly on your own triumphs. You inspire those in your “village.” You have certainly inspired us.
Matt’s book is published by BIGRED and is available for $14.95 on the web here.
We know quite a bit about the brain, as well as its needs and willingness for recovery after injury. But medicine is learning more everyday about how the brain works and how it is repaired after injury or trauma.
Along with the “miracles” of medicine and therapy that we are able to shape, the truth is the brain holds some of its own miracles – and those we can only support.
From time to time we like to share our own joyful testimonials of such miracles.
This summer fifteen-year old Stephanie suffered a hematoma after hitting her head in a diving board accident. She was given little hope of recovering from her brain injuries by the neurology team at the pediatric intensive care unit where she was initially treated.
But that wasn’t the only challenge Stephanie faced in her young life – or for her recovery. At birth she was diagnosed with Downs Syndrome, a congenital heart condition, and digestive disorders.
She was admitted to CareMeridian’s Oxnard facility in July of this year, shortly after her traumatic head injury. Stephanie captured our hearts the first time we laid eyes on her in spite of the fact that when she came to us she was totally unresponsive to any stimuli and in a coma. We just knew she would defy all odds. And she amazed us indeed.
Just a little over three months later, with the diligent efforts of Stephanie and her team of therapists at CareMeridian, she left our care walking and needing only minimal assistance with typical daily living activities. She is currently able to communicate with sign language and is completing puzzles in a matter of seconds.
Although Stephanie has left us to continue her recovery with further rehabilitation, she will always be part of the CareMeridian family and an inspiration to us. We visited her recently at Santa Barbara Rehabilitation Institute where, with her dedicated Mom at her side, she was up and walking and trying her best – as always.
CareMeridian integrates family and loved ones into our patients’ recovery from brain injury, spinal cord injury, or numerous other traumatic or neuromuscular conditions. We also recognize that those loved ones who support the recovering need a support system of their own to celebrate the good days and to help through the sometimes long and frustrating ones.
Support systems for families extend well beyond our facilities, to be sure, and some of these are new ways to connect with those affected by long-term injury recovery.
Personal online journals called weblogs are both a way to communicate and an important emotional outlet. Josh’s mom started a personal weblog to chronicle Josh’s recovery from brain injury from a drug overdose. It is her way of keeping friends and family involved and informed – and a way to share her ever-changing thoughts and feelings along the journey.
Karen’s mom is also periodically updating her online journal called Blessings For Karen. Friends stop by to leave comments and messages of support.
The Paralysis Community is a new online social network gathering together all those who are touched by spinal cord injury and paralysis. The goal is to bring together experts, families, friends and those living with paralysis to share their stories and experiences. There are discussions, weblogs and message boards as ways for all community members to meet and share.
Carepages offers free personal, private web pages to help loved ones stay connected and emotionally supported. There are special areas for Mom and Dads, as well as inspiring stories – and places to meet others experiencing similar life and injury circumstances. The brain injury support center at Carepages offers a newsletter as well.
Apparelyzed is an online peer support site for those with spinal cord injuries. In addition to discussion forums, it has a wealth of information and links on everything from adaptive equipment to health conditions, from sexuality and parenting to statistics and news. Apparelyzed was created and is maintained by UK resident Simon, who is medically classed as a quadriplegic.
Family caregivers are often time-challenged. Connected communities such as these are a lifeline of support that is as close as – and as immediately accessible as – the keyboard.
Life in our facilities follows the rhythms of every busy and growing family. It seems we’re always celebrating the seasons, honoring wedding anniversaries, and hailing birthdays. Sharing them makes them all the merrier:
Santiago Canyon Facility
On May 8th we celebrated Linda’s birthday. She is the beloved-by-all wife of resident Joe. For two years she has been a regular presence at the Santiago facility visiting with and participating in therapy with her husband. She always has comforting and encouraging words for Joe as well as with other families and residents. She is kind, loving, patient, helpful and in addition to all of that, she is a wonderful baker! She spoils all of us at the Santiago facility with delicious cakes and treats on a regular basis!
Oxnard Facility
On June 1, we celebrated the summer season with a beach outing! Here are a few photos we took along the way:
Cowen Heights Facility
Along with the Spring came family and friends to celebrate the season and join in on the performance of the Golden Celtic Dancers, who visited us for the 10th year!
And we had an extremely special visit from former patient, Amanda, who brought her new baby to visit us!
Sacramento
Our Easter egg hunting tradition is always fun. Patients, family, friends and staff all had a good time in our big backyard hunting for real eggs and chocolate, of course!
Patient Michael H celebrated a very special birthday - his 16th.
Las Vegas
Not something that happens everyday, but when it does it is quite the affair! We had a prom for resident Sherril M!
Fresno
Patients and staff are excited to celebrate moving into our remodeled Fresno facility. Here’s a peek:
La Habra Heights
CareMeridian La Habra has turned into a hub for grooving grandmas. Three of our staff members are all expectant first-time grandmothers this summer. The new arrivals will bring numbers to five grandmas and one great-grandma! We have certainly shattered the image of gray haired grannies in rocking chairs!
While our residents are working every day to recover from traumatic brain injury, serious spinal cord injury or other catastrophic illness, the joys and celebrations of life still accompany them and are a very integral part of their life and care here at CareMeridian.
We just must share a joyful update on “our little CJ.” She’s now at home with her family. We at CareMeridian had the great privilege of helping her get back there, where she belongs.
You see CJ was just 10 years old when she suffered a stroke. Such a very rare catastrophic injury in one so young.
CJ was in a coma, only very minimally responsive to any stimuli. Treating doctors at the hospital gave the family virtually no hope for CJ’s recovery.
CJ’s insurance case manager requested that Children’s’ Hospital Central California contact CareMeridian to evaluate CJ and make recommendations. CareMeridian staff evaluated her while she was in the hospital, and she was soon transferred to our San Martin facility for rehabilitation and home-like care.
During the 2 months CJ was with us we all worked hard; CJ, Mom, family and the entire San Martin team. With expert care, specialized therapies, dedicated staff and loving support, CJ went from almost no response and no ability to eat, walk or talk, to awareness, managing self care tasks and becoming mobile.
It was a happy day at Care Meridian when we saw CJ headed back to Children’s’ Hospital Central California Acute Rehabilitation Center. She still had work to do, but she was ready to continue her recovery outside the enveloping shelter of CareMeridian.
Today, her Mom told us she is growing and continuing to improve. She is now going to a specialized school and able to feed and dress herself and walk with the help of a brace.
CJ’s mom shared words we love to hear: that she knows the care she received here at CareMeridian was the best anywhere and she credits us with CJ’s recovery.
We couldn’t be prouder of “our little CJ.” And, no matter where she goes, she will always be a member of the CareMeridian family.
On Christmas Eve a tiny miracle came into the world. Baby Audrey Edwards was welcomed into the arms of her father Mike and mother, Amanda Arthur Edwards.
Now, this is a marvel that is bestowed on our world more than 300,000 times every day of every year.
But this baby, this family is no ordinary miracle.
Almost ten years ago Amanda suffered traumatic brain injury in a car crash that left her in a coma from which her doctors predicted she would not emerge. But 10 weeks later emerge she did - and her journey toward recovery brought her into the Care Meridian family.
Care Meridian provided Amanda with what we give every patient: specialized and focused medical care, expert therapies, home-like surroundings, and abundant love, support and information. Amanda turned them into her own string of miracles: walking, then driving, living independently, working, marrying Aussie husband Mike last January, – and now being a mother to her tiny and extraordinary daughter.
Some everyday miracles are just a little harder to come by than others.
The Orange County Register, among other media outlets, have along the way chronicled Amanda’s (Mandy’s) recover. Read the Register’s most recent article, Mandy’s Baby.
Congratulations, Mandy and Mike!
Photo credit: OC Register
No one understands the emotional aspects of caring for a family member with a traumatic injury better than the families themselves.
At CareMeridian, the families of our patients know that they are not alone. We want them to feel as at home as possible in our facilities, be with their family member and participate in their recovery, and receive the help they need, both medically and psychologically, to care for their loved one. Most of all, we want families to know there is hope.
But there’s no need to take our word for it – our families can and do speak for themselves. In case you haven’t read them yet, here are links to what families and others have to say about the CareMeridian experience.
We are fortunate at CareMeridian to have many success stories – residents who defy the odds and fill our facilities with pride. But one resident said more with two simple words than we could ever say ourselves.
Grant Munsey had already made amazing progress after just a few short months at our San Martin facility. After a medical procedure helped improve his movement – he now could move his fingers, shrug his shoulders and make facial expressions – Grant was well on his way to recovery. But Grant had one more surprise for the CareMeridian staff and his wife, Sandy.
One day, while working with a speech therapist to exercise his vocal cords, the therapist noticed that Grant was trying to give voice to the words she was speaking. The therapist said “sounds good” – and Grant, unable to speak for three years, said “sounds good” right back.
“Many of us had tears in our eyes and some of us couldn’t believe our ears, so we kept asking Grant to say anything,” one CareMeridian associate recalled.
Grant had one more surprise up his sleeve. The next day, when Grant’s wife Sandy arrived, he looked at her and said, “I love you, Sandy.” Those words made Sandy, Grant, and everyone in the CareMeridian family very happy indeed.
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In his book, Life After Near-Death, Matt Stepien tells his frightening and compelling story of a rare virus that lead to a brain hemorrhage, three weeks in a coma, and a life completely transformed by this crisis.
