Dana's Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery Campaign

Dear Family and Friends,

It’s not easy for me to share something like this, but here it goes. Deep breath…

At the end of this summer, I had a sort of freak accident at home which resulted in me hitting my head. I suffered a concussion and dealt with the typical symptoms for about two weeks, but I was able to function somewhat normally during that time. After those two weeks, however, my symptoms worsened and continued to get more severe. My life has changed drastically. Further testing revealed that the impact affected my brain in multiple ways, including affecting my motor skills and cognitive skills.

The list of symptoms is long, but the most pressing one right now is related to my vision. Currently, I can’t read for more than a few seconds at a time, and focusing my eyes up close, and sometimes even within quite a bit of distance in front of me, is extremely painful. Essentially, my brain and eyes aren’t communicating properly, and my brain needs to relearn how to make those connections. It’s difficult for me to be in environments with bright lights, crowds, any new scenery, new people, moving objects or noise. These things are extremely taxing on my brain and nervous system. As a result, I can’t watch TV, listen to music (other than ambient sounds), go to stores, or eat out at restaurants. I can manage listening to audiobooks for about 45 minutes, talk on the phone, and spend time with a few friends. I get out and go for walks, and exercise at home.

So, yes, it’s been a very tough few months. My life has been completely disrupted. I haven’t been able to work, and I had to drop out of school—just at the start of my final year of nursing school. I used to find happiness in staying busy, being productive, being creative, making music, learning, helping others, physical activity, and being social. But most of that seemed to vanish overnight.

Yes, I will recover! Unfortunately, it's going to take much more time and effort than I had initially anticipated.

I’ve been seeking medical treatment (a lot) and am hopeful that I’m on the right path to recovery. My main focus right now is occupational therapy, and I’ve made significant adjustments to my lifestyle in order to do what is best for the health of my brain and nervous system. My doctors anticipate I will be recovered in 6 to 12 months. My hope is to be able to return to at least part-time work in six months or sooner, and resume school in the fall of 2025.

Fortunately, I had been receiving financial assistance from the state of Oregon, but this support is time-limited and most of it is soon going to expire. With the assistance of a Care Coordinator, I am getting help with researching and hopefully attaining a bit more help with needs from the government and the community.

I’ve recently met and have confided in a few people who have experienced more severe traumatic brain injuries, who have become mentors to me (thank you). I am grateful because while this challenge feels extremely overwhelming, I’m also deeply aware of how lucky I am.

I’ve cared for patients who were recovering from strokes and other serious conditions, some for months, during their rehabilitation. Even though my situation is not at all comparable, while caring for them, I would quite often wonder: How do they do it? There are some who regularly seem cheerful, or some angry, some who are devastated about having to sell the house they've lived in for 45 years, some who get angry at me because they can't use the TV remote, or because I did not cut their food properly, while others smile and put on make-up every day and are always grateful to me. How do they accept and adjust to a life that just completely changed overnight? Well, I am working on that, and I’ll let you know if you’re interested.

The funds I’m raising are intended to help cover a portion of my monthly living expenses and medical bills for approximately the next six months. I am and will continue to have my expenses documented and verified by a third party which I can provide to anyone who would like to see them. If I recover sooner than expected (hallelujah!), I plan to donate any remaining funds to a brain injury research center (the exact one will be decided later).

So, I’m humbly asking for your support—not just financial, but also your love and positive energy. Please keep it coming! If you’re in the Portland, OR area, I would love to meet up for a short visit. Your support means the world to me.

We have all been through difficult times we’ve had to overcome. Some of my closest friends have seen how I've grown from past struggles. Certain experiences have taught me things I would have never learned otherwise. I’ve learned a valuable amount about myself, I've grown emotionally and spiritually, I've changed my career, I moved across the country and found a new happy place, and I've learned to love myself. Beautiful growth blossomed, and I know that is also in my future.

Any support you can offer is deeply appreciated. Thank you for your love and encouragement—I’m truly grateful for each and every one of you.

With love,

Dana