3 Amazing Brain Injury Stories
A serious brain injury can derail a person’s life plans, potentially disrupting physical, cognitive, and emotional function, and require the consult of a traumatic brain injury lawyer. There are, however, occasional stories of astounding recovery that serve as a light to those looking for some hope. Here are three worth knowing about.
Teen graduates college after severely critical brain injuries
Brainline featured what may be a miraculous recovery of Sam Beemer, who was severely injured in a car accident at 16. She had multiple injuries, including a traumatic brain injury, multiple skull fractures, a punctured lung, a broken pelvis and other broken bones, and dissected right carotid artery. Each injury was serious, but many could not be treated for fear of aggravating the brain injury and dissected carotid.
After two weeks, Sam’s brain began to swell; doctors believed that if she survived she would experience crippling mental and physical deficits. However, after much rehab and missing a year of school, Sam graduated high school with her class and headed off to college. She still experiences effects of her injuries, including blindness on the left side of both eyes and reduced functionality on the left side of her body, but has much to celebrate.
College student’s TBI recovery defies odds
The Washington Post featured the recovery of Dylan Williams after a traumatic brain injury threatened his future. When he was a college junior, Dylan was struck by a car in a crosswalk. His head went through the car’s windshield and doctors feared he would be permanently disabled.
Family and friends rallied around Dylan with unrelenting support and he defied doctors’ predictions one step at a time. Though his processing speed may have been impacted by the injury, Dylan graduated Phi Beta Kappa from college. He has been recognized by his doctors as a reason to not give up hope.
Brain injury unlocks man’s mathematical and artistic genius
Jason Padgett was severely beaten outside a karaoke bar in 2002. Padgett was not particularly academic, but the attack left the furniture salesman with an unbelievable new ability; he began to see the world in geometric patterns and math sequences.
Padgett is one of several hundred documented cases of “acquired savant syndrome”, in which an individual develops remarkable ability following a severe injury. He is the only known person in the world who can draw fractals, which are complex symmetrical repeating patterns that represent a whole. Fractals are rooted in geometry, and the injury left Padgett with the ability to understand geometry and physics. The new-found ability inspired him to go to college to study math.
Justice for brain injury victims
Brain injuries impact the entire family, causing both the victim and his or her loved ones to need to establish a new normal. It can also leave staggering medical bills and the inability to work. If you or a loved one have suffered a brain injury and believe someone else may be at fault, speak with a Los Angeles traumatic brain injury attorney at Ellis Injury Law. The consultation is free and completely confidential.
We have over 20 years of experience fighting for the rights of personal injury victims in California. Contact us today at 310-641-3335 for a free lawsuit review with an experienced attorney, with no cost or obligation.
Additional “Brain Injury Recovery” Resources:
- Popular Science, When Brain Damage Unlocks The Genius Within, https://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-02/when-brain-damage-unlocks-genius-within
- The Washington Post, After traumatic brain injury, a young man’s astounding recovery, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/after-traumatic-brain-injury-a-young-mans-astounding-recovery/2014/09/15/410ab5e8-26e6-11e4-8593-da634b334390_story.html?utm_term=.05406c3a7aa6