At the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts (BIA-MA) we have had the opportunity to work with many brain injury survivors and caregivers. Each person has a different story to tell as no traumatic brain injury (TBI) or acquired brain injury (ABI) is alike.We would like to share the story of TBI survivor Joanna Leigh. You might have already heard Joanna’s story as she has been on NECN and FOX25 recently talking about her TBI diagnosis. Her injury was sustained at last year’s Boston Marathon bombing attack.
On Monday, April 15, 2013 Joanna had spent the morning at Abe & Louie’s waiting for a friend to cross the finish line. She went out to get some flowers and then felt and heard the first blast. As she ran to the scene of the first blast in an effort to assist, she was hit by the second IED. Joanna was hit at about 10-20 foot range, thrown back and blacked out. Upon awakening, she still managed to help a wounded old man to safety. She didn’t realize how badly she was injured and doesn’t remember much of how she got home. Texts from that day and people’s emails have helped recreate a few moments. Numerous specialists, scans, and tests have repeatedly confirmed her diagnosis:
1) Traumatic brain injury (confirmed by two neurologists, brain scans, and cognitive testing in which Joanna scored in the lowest percentile)
2) Over 50% bilateral hearing loss (permanent, non-correctable nerve damage not just ear drum)
3) Neuro-blindness (significant vision loss, brain-based nerves/vessels are damaged)
4) PTSD
2) Over 50% bilateral hearing loss (permanent, non-correctable nerve damage not just ear drum)
3) Neuro-blindness (significant vision loss, brain-based nerves/vessels are damaged)
4) PTSD
We at BIA-MA know the facts about brain injury and we want to make sure that the public is educated on this life-altering injury that can happen to anyone at anytime. Recently the One Fund publicly stated to the press that “Traumatic brain injury is a controversial diagnosis…This is very difficult for the medical community to even agree on whether it exists, what are the sources of it? was anybody in the blast zone affected in a way that would have produced that kind of trauma?” We want people to know that these comments are simply untrue. The medical community has resoundingly concurred that TBI does exist and has noted the numerous ways in which it can occur. In the United States a brain injury occurs every 18.5 seconds and there are 5.3 million Americans that are living with disabilities as a result of TBI; a figure not including the almost 300,000 veterans. Boston’s own Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital has a world class TBI center which is currently working with The Department of Defense to research and help manage the polytraumatic effects of traumatic brain injury.
Did you know that the annual cost of traumatic brain injury in the United States is approximately 60 billion dollars? In 2007, Harvard University, on behalf of the Department of Defense estimated that the lifetime cost for care of TBI is estimated at 5 to 15 million, even with insurance. This may seem like a lot of money, and yet, it is in line with the amount the NFL players settled on for their TBI injuries- with many doctors speaking out that this may not be enough to cover a lifetime of care. This pertains in particular to Joanna as she was not able to collect more than $8,000 from the One Fund because of being seen on an outpatient basis.
For those of you not familiar with the One Fund, it is a 501(c)(3) organization started on April 16, 2013 at the direction of Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino to help those most affected by the Marathon bombings. The tiered system of the fund, and its refusal to read medical documentation, makes it unfair for those with severe injuries like Joanna’s because on impact she had no idea of the severity of her injury and was only seen as an outpatient.
Like many people in the Commonwealth, we will never forget where we were during the Boston Marathon bombings. The loss was great for our city, and for those who were injured or lost a loved one, even more significant. Boston Strong is made up of all of us, including the 5.6 million heroes who fight daily battles in ways we cannot see. The greatest service BIA-MA can do for Joanna and her cause is to continue to provide her and other survivors with resources for support, prevention, education and advocacy and encourage others with a brain injury to step forward and join our brain injury community.
Please see the links below of Joanna in the media recently discussing her TBI.
http://braininjuryma.wordpress.com/2014/04/29/boston-marathon-survivor-living-with-a-traumatic-brain-injury-tbi/
