City: Bismarck

Brain Injury: June 22, 2012 I was a passenger in a vehicle that rolled over and I was thrown out. I landed on the pavement of the road. It was not clear for days if I would live or not. I suffered a TBI, collapsed lung, broken bones in my face, fractured hips, bruised heart and lungs. I had part of my skull removed to help with swelling that was put back in a month later. I was unconscious for 92 days. I was in Sanford Hospital in Bismarck; Kindred Hospital; Craig Hospital in Denver, CO; and QLI in Omaha, NE. I had therapy for Speech, OT, and PT for 3-4 years after my accident. I had to relearn how to do everything in life again, breath, eat, walk, and talk.

Explanation of Mask: Since my accident life has not been easy, so many things have changed. I am grateful to be alive but I have so many difficult feelings and emotions. The mask tells some of my emotions and the colors represent how I feel about those feelings and emotions. I am very lonely and depressed because life seems to stand still for me while it moves on for friends. It is VERY difficult to find help and things for me to do with my injury. The resources available don’t seem to have the money or means to help people like me. I have voices in my head that tell me to harm myself, I don’t listen. I have physical disabilities with my TBI that also make life hard to deal with.