Fund Her Fight Against Brain Injury

In 2018, I was a 46-year-old woman living a traditional suburban life in Atlanta, Georgia. I was happily married with an active 8-year-old son. I was an avid runner, soccer player, swimmer, triathlete, nurse and taking on each day like a rock star. That all changed from January 2018 to November 2018.

I had a motor vehicle accident on January 31, in which I was rear ended by a van while I was stopped. My car was totaled. I experienced “just whiplash”. The next day my head was really hurting so I went to the hospital and had a CT scan performed which resulted with normal findings. Flash forward to the end of July. My husband, son and I were visiting family in New York. We went to a water park to take a break from the beach for the day. On what was our last ride of the day, really became, in retrospect, to be my true last hoorah. On a mechanically tracked water boat ride we had our splashes, fun and laughter, we were waiting for the prior boat to dismount. Sitting at a standstill, I was the rear passenger in the boat. My little guy was in the front, then my husband, next brother-in- law and last came me. Suddenly, a thunderous blow hit me from behind, pushing me from an upright seated position, to my torso and head between my knees. I didn’t know what hit me. In the initial moment, there was complete darkness. Then my cries for help and sheer terror. I could hear my husband's voice and other male voices in alarm. I just kept calling for him to help me. The boat behind us, upon completion of their ride, had circled the bend in the track. The track had malfunctioned, It did not stop their boat. It crashed on top of me. The voices I heard were 5 grown men lifting a boat off of my head, neck and back. I was disoriented, in extreme pain, and scared for dear life. I was placed in a wheelchair brought by the park medics. I was brought to the water park medical clinic. There I lay on a gurney with packs of ice around me. They were taking my vital signs and asking me a barrage of questions. I only recall feeling like my head had multiplied in size, my dear God, the pounding and throbbing. My knee jerk reaction was to want to leave and pretend it never happened. All my life, growing up as an athlete, I have become injured in one shape or form depending on the sport. I had always, with pride, brushed myself off and kept on trucking. In that same frame of reference, I declined going to the emergency room. Biggest.Regret.Ever. Subsequently, I returned to our family home and I went to bed early due to my “headache”. The next morning was more of the same with a great amount of muscle strain and ache in my neck and back. Again, I dismissing my discomfort, as it will “soon go away”. Then my next injury occurred during a soccer game. I played for GAWSA soccer league, my true passion in life. I was flipped in a soccer game, landing on my neck. This accident, literally took me out of my game.

The days passed, and I started popping Ibuprofen often, sleeping more, participating less in daily life and feeling frustrated with the lingering effects. The symptoms began to worsen, became more frequent and with more intensity. Then new symptoms arrived. Visual disturbance, sensitivity to light, dizziness, nausea. Next came difficulty with balance, severe vertigo, tinnitus, insomnia. This was all over a period of five months. But I never connected the dots. The most detrimental aspect of my well-being changed when I started experiencing immense anxiety and panic attacks. My whole inner world was out of control. I had no agency to function. I became bed bound for approximately 3 months. Unable to safely walk unassisted. I couldn’t eat, losing 10 pounds. I couldn’t follow conversation or watch tv. I couldn’t tolerate any light or sounds. My body shook and trembled involuntarily. I was unable to do much. Eventually with the sheer will of God, I still don’t remember how I did it but I found myself at a neuro rehab center with a diagnosis of a traumatic brain injury. I was then placed on a weekly TBI protocol of 4 days a week for 5 hours a day. And when I was not there I was primarily in bed at home. That went on for about a year. Next, I was given the diagnosis of a limbic system impairment, which is the parts of the brain that control your emotions. I was directed on a journey to “simply” elevate my emotional state with smiling and laughter. Nothing budged with the myriad of programs I tried. I continued to worsen. I couldn’t think rationally. I was slipping away, losing myself with each day that passed that my mind and body were not my own. Then things turned to complete darkness, anger outbursts, rage, demise of my humanity and suicidality reined. I was hospitalized twice. I destroyed the integrity of my marriage, my family, my friends. All of it.

Out of the persistent, unconditional, unwavering love and support from my husband at the time, who had fallen victim to my wrath, he did his last ditch effort to stand by my side and move us closer to family. He blessed me with the grace of so much, that would require me to write an entire book on, but he provided me with my own space to heal. I really had nothing left in me. I turned to God and asked for His guidance. I found a church in my new town. I dragged myself (physically), spiritually willingly, there on Sundays pleading with the Lord for healing and forgiveness and direction. And I was given my first gift. I was turned in the direction of an amazing mastermind of traumatic brain injuries. I am now under the care and expertise of Dr. Deborah Zelinsky at the Mind Eye Institute. It is a world class optometric rehabilitation provider in Chicago. My first treatment began in October 2022, my treatment continues. I was just there again in March and will be returning in the end of September. As well, I am under the care of three complimentary specialists, one utilizing puzzles to open new neural pathways, another to restore my primitive reflexes to function correctly, and lastly, to reintegrate the use of both my left and right hemispheres.

It is with pure humility, I share my journey in hopes that my TBI does not continue to be glossed over, diminished, go unseen, unheard or misunderstood. If you do not today know anyone personally who has sustained a concussion, perhaps tomorrow, you will. Please know they will need doors to open for them, too. In this vein, it is not about just my story, it is about ALL our stories. Thank you. I hope you will consider making a contribution to .

I have endured another fatality in this nightmare. I became divorced in Sept 2023. I have been so unwell for the last 6 years that my, then, husband was too overburdened with trying to "get me back" unsuccessfully that we agreed to have me go it alone. I have been declined disability now twice after applying over a year ago. I am currently awaiting a court trial to be considered in front of a judge. I have not worked in over 2 years. The total amount I have spent on trying to get better exceeding $175 grand. I am scheduled for an appointment at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Concussion program on July 25. This, too, comes with an exhaustive cost, of upwards of $5 grand, with services, evaluations, travel and lodging. I have been told that this is the final answer to all that I am challenged by due to the injuries.

I would immensely appreciate any amount of contribution to my next last step to return back to a fully functioning and capable adult. I have been a nurse for 20 years and to return to what I do best would be a gift that just keeps on giving. This has turned my world inside out and upside down. If I am blessed by being able to give back to others, once again, in their health struggles, I will have deeper restored faith that there is truly purpose in pain. Favorite quote: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6. Thank you.