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for persons dealing with
traumatic brain injury.

STORIES OF AMAZING RECOVERIES

Submitted By: Patricia Hill
Contact Via: patriciahill@aventis.com

My son, Aaron was 17 years old when he had his car accident. He was driving alone and there was no speeding, drugs, or alcohol. They believed he looked away for a second and found himself on the shoulder of the road when a woman walking saw him and moved out of the way. She believes Aaron may have panicked and when he attempted to get back on the main road, he overcompensated and crossed the yellow line. A PC Richards delivery truck was coming the other way and ran up the hood of his car. He was pinned and sustained a traumatic brain injury. He hit the door jamb on the left side of his brain and suffered frontal lobe damage. He almost lost his left eye and suffered a massive hemorrhage on the right. He shattered all the bones in his cheeks and had a collapsed lung and a torn trach. He was medi evaced to the trauma center at Morristown Memorial Hospital where he was taken care of. After 6 hours they came and told us it was irreversible and Aaron would not live through the night. However, Aaron did make it through the night, and 2 weeks after the accident he underwent 7 hours of plastic surgery to his face. They rebuilt the socket and saved his left eye and replaced the shattered bones with plates. We were in ICU for 24 days and then went to Children's Specialized in Mountainside, N.J. for 4 months.

Aaron opened his eyes when rolled from side to side but not continuously on his own. He had many medical issues such as blood clots and breakdown from casting and bacterial infections that prohibited him from benefitting from therapies. They told us after 4 months we should take him somewhere he would have more time to heal. We left there and went to a nursing/rehab where Aaron stayed for the next 13 months. He continued to improve with the eye opening, following, and making sounds. He had some physical movement but they were not giving him therapies because they said he needed more time to heal. He did go to school everyday and received some therapies, a lot of stimulation. As a Mom I was becoming very frustrated very healthy and strong and had gained 30 lbs. While at Wanaque.

Last October, I was given an article to read about coma vs. vegetative state. It referenced a doctor from Cornell University and a doctor from JFK medical Center in Edison, NJ. I called the doctor in Cornell and he answered the phone and we spoke for a while. He believed Aaron would wake up but did not have any way of knowing how far back he would come. He put me in touch with Dr. Giacino in Edison and we took Aaron for an evaluation. He was admitted 7 weeks ago and has progressed continuously since then. They reduced his medications that make you sleepy and his arousal level has improved considerably, He is awake with eyes open all the time and is very vocal with sounds. The sounds are becoming more pronounced and we pray the words will come. He is eating pureed foods and drinks, thickened liquids and has snacks of yoghurt and applesauce. He has much more physical movement and will follow commands, sometimes consistently and other times not. They will be surgically implanting a baclifin pump next week so that they can do more with him physically. Aaron was a very strong, aggressive athlete and I believe his youth and his athletics is what saved him. He smiles all the time and will reach out and punch objects or myself or will push us away.

We have no way of knowing if after 2 years Aaron will be able to come home again. We see progress all the time and our goal is for him to be able to come home and have some quality of life. If anyone can fight his way back, Aaron can. If there is anyone who has a similar story and can give us hope and promise for tomorrow, please contact us.

Patty Hill