City: Missoula

Brain Injury: Closed Brain Injury from Train vs Firetruck 7/10/91

Explanation of Mask: My mask represents the significant change that occurs after each brain injury.  All the pieces of my Life Puzzle were scattered all along the railroad tracks.  It was my challenge to seek to find the missing pieces and then to figure out how to put those pieces back in place.  Sometimes I have found the pieces but find nowhere to put them in the new Jim Mickelson that survived.  I thank God that #1: I have had the desire to put my life puzzle back to some degree of order and #2: that God has given me the tenacity to keep trying even after 26 years.

Thank God that my wife and family have hung in there so long as that is the most significant piece of the puzzle.  24/7 with time off for other activities for 26 years is a long time.  Helping others through support groups like the Missoula Brain Injury support group and the Missoula Puzzle Club and BIAMT has been a big piece to my puzzle.