Iowa Resident is Thriving After Catastrophic Brain Injury

Written by Rosanne, Chad’s wife   |   March 2018

TBI Awareness became part of my pageant platform when Chad was injured at the end of my Mrs. Iowa International reign. No one EVER thinks it will happen to them or a member of their family, but it does in a blink of an eye. I even have video of the moment when the bus crashed into Chad and changed both of our lives forever!

First, the initial prognosis was very bad. On the day of the accident I was told he only had a 10% chance of surviving the night and if he did, I wouldn’t want him to live.

The next morning, the same neurosurgeon told me Chad’s brain stem was shutting down and to call the funeral home. I refused! I asked for a second opinion and received a different assessment!!! The second neurosurgeon we worked with saved Chad’s life after placing a shunt in his brain to reduce swelling.

I then started on the road of rehabilitation with Chad. Immediately I asked to be trained and started extra physical, occupational and speech therapy every day with him. I went with him to both Madonna Rehab in Lincoln, NE, and QLI in Omaha, NE. We did extra therapy each evening and every weekend. That same daily work ethic continues to this day.

Chad is further in his recovery journey than anyone expected! It is a miracle fueled with hard work by both of us and extreme faith. Never give up! Never take the doctor’s word at full value. Doctors do give you worst-case scenario, but know you don’t have to settle for that—keep trying.

There are actions you can take to reduce your risk and improve your chances of survival if you do sustain a brain injury. One of those actions is to ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEATBELT! If Chad had not had his seatbelt on, he would be dead.

Through the month of March, I was able to share facts and information about brain injury on my Ms. Worldwide United 2017- 2018 Facebook page. Please join us on this very important and personal journey HERE!

I also wish to highlight the fine organizations and individuals that are fighting each day to improve the quality of life for TBI survivors and their families. Among these brave groups that I was able to share about in the month of March are: Traumatic Brain Injury Support Group, The Brain Injury Alliance of Iowa, Global Brain Injury Awareness, and Raising Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness.

The Brain Injury Association of America has named this year’s awareness campaign the #ChangeYourMind movement!

As your Ms. Worldwide United 2017-18, I hope to continue to educate and change your mind about brain injury!

#MSWORLDWIDE #MSWORLDWIDEUNITED #WORLDWIDEUNITEDPAGEANTS #MSUSAWORLDWIDE #TIARASOFHOPE

Interested in sharing your story of survival or caregiving after a brain injury? Want to help spread stories of hope and inspiration? CLICK HERE to share your story!