Shane Hall TBI Recovery Journey
On June 5th of 2013, my son, Shane Hall, was struck by a vehicle while walking along side Highway 183/71 in Austin, TX. Originally thought to be a fatality by paramedics, Shane was rushed to the ER and underwent emergency surgery for a subdural hematoma, resulting in the removal of the right side of his skull. Both of his legs were severly fractured and required several surgeries to reconstruct. Shane was placed on breathing and feeding support and was in a coma for several weeks, the result of the tramatic brain injury (TBI). After 4 months in the trauma hospital where he underwent additional surgeries, Shane was transferred to an Illinois acute rehab hospital where he underwent intensive rehab for a month. In November, Shane was released from the hospital under 24/7 care. At this time, I resigned from my employment, and became his sole caregiver.
Shane continues to improve in his long journey in healing from TBI. Physical issues continue to persist, including the lack of a skull to protect the right side of his brain, hypersensitivity to pain, mobility issues, limited use of his left side, visual impairments, and severe muscle spasms. Although his cognition continues to improve, Shane still suffers from both short-term and long-term memory loss, problems with concentration and processing information, vision issues, and poor judgement. Unable to walk or transfer without assistance, Shane continues his rehab treatment as an outpatient and at home with me, and is still under 24/7 care. We are in the process of finding a neurosurgeon that will perform the procedure to provide Shane with a prosthetic skull, which will allow Shane to further his recovery.
We are asking for help to allow us to continue this journey of recovery. Shane is in need of additional surgerys and rehab services, which will require travel several hundred miles away. Medical and living expenses have depleted all of our assets and I am unable to work outside the home in order to provide 24/7 care for Shane. Although we have applied for SSI and Dept. of Rehab Services, these programs take several months/years to be approved. Medical assistance, through Medicaid, was not approved until Februay, creating several thousands of dollars of out-of-pocket expenses for medicines and medical supplies. Without assistance, Shane will have to be placed in a nursing home and will not get the services he needs to recover from his brain injury. We ask that you help us "Get by with a little help from our friends"!
Thank you for your consideration!
Lisa Cawley, Shane Hall and family
