About The Author
ABOUT AJ
BEFORE the accident: AJ was a gregarious, hilarious “mathlete” ( also excelling in wrestling and martial arts) who was valedictorian at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, FL, in 2003. His accomplishments led him to U Penn where he earned a bioengineering degree.
THE ACCIDENT: July 6, 2008 (he was 23 years old). AJ was driving home after a karate workout with other black belt buddies. On Highway 595, near the University Drive exit, one of the tires shredded. He was going approximately 70mph. When he lost control, the car flipped over 2 and a half times. He was ejected and thrown against the guardrail. He suffered a severe diffuse axonal brain injury. His left shoulder fractured in several places; his left hip was dislocated; and his pelvis was fractured. Some of these injuries were repaired with surgery.
THE CAUSE of the accident was twofold. The tire that shredded was old (9 years old), and it was defective.
AFTER the accident: AJ was comatose and then unresponsive for almost three months. He went through 3 years of intensive daily therapy at a long term facility in central Florida. He then moved into his own home where we hired caregivers 24/7 and two nurses for peg tube feeding.
Three Years Later:
- He couldn’t eat by mouth.
TODAY: There’s Good News and Bad News
Specifically caused by the brain injury------The Bad News
- AJ still can’t walk by himself. As a result, he is in a wheelchair most of the time. However, he can walk short distances with a walker and supervision. He requires minimal assistance to transfer between bed and his walker or to/from his wheelchair; normal daily activities like going to bathroom and showering require more assistance; his memory can be very weak (probably the cognitive aspect that is most damaged). He requires routine reminders and advance notice when planning activities or changing his schedule. All of these things are because of the brain injury. When he gets frustrated, he appears angry, and it’s difficult for him to calm down.
- AJ is unable to talk clearly because every system in his body is damaged, including his respiratory system. With great effort, he is using verbal speech now and can generally be understood under certain conditions. When AJ is not tired, an unfamiliar listener who is standing or sitting very close bye, might understand approximately 50% of the time. A familiar listener, standing close by, can understand AJ approximately 90% of the time. If the listener doesn’t understand AJ the first or second time, AJ says something verbally, then he spells a word out loud. If that doesn’t work, then he uses a spelling board to point to each letter of each word in the sentence. This is an arduous process but so very worth it because he has a lot to say!
- AJ does not eat by mouth due to a variety of factors, including the possibility of choking and inadequate nutrient intake. AJ no longer has full function of his taste or smell; he does not require food or liquid intake outside of tube feeding times; he gets 4-5 feedings a day.
The Good News!
- Personality and cognitive strengths are many. AJ is still very witty, he maintains his mental math skills; his vocabulary is exemplary; he remembers MANY movie quotes and specific sports statistics, past and present. (He was "famous for’’ these things before the accident.) Nobody knows WHY he can remember these specific bits of information now when his memory is so damaged. He also remembers many words in Turkish (his father’s first language), Spanish, Japanese and Latin. (Of those four languages, he received formal instruction in Spanish only but how does he remember any of it?) He is VERY determined to continue making progress. He is definitely self-motivated.
- AJ started to write several years after the accident to better occupy his time. Nobody understands this new development because AJ was so left brain dominant before the accident. Never did a bit of creative writing ever!
- Injury is mainly physical. People are quick to judge others based on looks. When they see someone with a disability or hear the term “brain injury” they form assumptions that might not be accurate. AJ is capable of much more than anyone initially understands.
Recovery from a DAI varies, but the neurologist in the second facility where AJ stayed told the family that only one out of ten individuals with this type of brain injury can ever have a functional life. AJ is the one!
"Be the CHANGE that you want to see in the world"-Mahatma Gandhi
