Notes for ‘Marshall Voices’ article

These some notes that I compiled to add and subsequently helped complete  the Marshall Voices article by the University of Southern California.

Facts about my recovery:

1. March 1^st, 1998- 13 years ago, at that time I had been going through the preliminary stages for Commencement from the Marshall School of Business. BS in Business Marketing.
2. I sustained a closed-head injury while Snowboarding on the mountains of Big Bear, CA. I struck a tree, without taking the simple precaution of wearing a helmet, when I was found by the Ski-patrol, I was comatose and found ‘out-of-bounds’. This accident was more severe than Natasha Richardson, so it was more along the lines of what happened to Sonny Bono. Diagnosis: Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
3. I was helicoptored to the ICU at Loma Linda University Hospital for about 2 weeks, until I started to breathe on my own. A Ms. Diane Chavez, who is a mutual friend of another friend Mr. & Mrs. Jack Kordic, she assessed me and said I was coherent enough to be moved to another Hospital in Downey, CA: Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Hospital. This process took a great amount of time, I was comatose for 45 days. That’s the amount of time needed for my brain to heal.
4. My Mother was a constant advocate for me, ALL of the Hospital staff use to cower in fear at the mere sight of her. I also had tremendous support from my ex-girlfriend: Ms. Nicole Rivera
5. I always had a tremendous ‘Support System’ while battling this life changing ordeal. All of my friends filled every ‘Waiting Room’ I was ever a patient at.
6. I awoke from my comatose state, on EASTER SUNDAY of 1998….When a Reverend from Hope Chapel asked my Mother & Brother if he could pray over my bed,  which they agreed to. WHAT WAS TO COME, was nothing short of a miracle. The reverend said his little prayer, in a solemn voice, then he started  YELLING, at the top of his lungs…..’Jesus, loves you……Jesus, loves you…He loves you…He loves you.
7. At that point I OPENED BOTH my eyes, as if to say ‘What are you yelling at me for. I was sleeping so well and you messed it all up.

Rancho Los Amigos:

1. The whole world immediately turned into a huge obstacle for me after. That I knew I had to conquer if I was going to have any kind of decent life for myself.

• I had to re-learn all of the complexities of life, that are completely taken for granted, by most others. Breathing, eating, drinking, walking, talking.

1. While at Rancho Los Amigos, I was assessed by Dr. Judith Burnfield who was a technician where they inject small electrical devices into the Muscles you use for walking, to see if they get a response (this was a bit painful)….I always worked VERY HARD at my recovery. She told my Mother that I would be ideal to work with one of her colleagues. The conversation was left at that.
2. When I was initially admitted to “Rancho”, many of the Doctors/Neurologists believed I would need 24-hour Hospital Care for an entire Year. I was discharged from Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Hospital after just 4 months. My level of sheer perseverance was incalculable
3. My speech was the most adversely effected characteristic of my personality: Before being discharged my speech was assessed at 0% intelligibility. I could NOT dress myself, or walk, or do any of the ‘Personal Care’. BASICALLY they needed my bed for another patient, and I was more than Happy to make this place a very distant memory.
4. So EVER re-gainig the life that I once had seemed completely impossible: I had to RE-LEARN how to life my own life & get well enough to walk the halls of one of this Countries finest institutions/Business Schools of ‘Higher Learning’. Such a task was so immense that it appeared to be completely impossible. I had made it this far on my Journey, why not go farther.

Out-Patient Therapy

1. I was home & I was alive, so NOW the really difficult work would begin. Every 3 days I would have my Mother give me an assisted shower, while I would sit in a ‘shower-chair’. In those early days of my recovery my memory was a mess, but you adapt to the changes.
2. I would venture back to ‘Rancho’ for my out-patient therapy, by my Brother and my Mother. Who never complained over the sacrifices they had in their own lives.
3. You may remember when I had that test with Dr. Judith Burnfield ( mentioned on the preceding page) at Rancho Los Amigos, the colleague she was referring to was none other than Dr. Beth Fisher: Director of Neurological Disorders for the Health Sciences Campus of USC (USC’s Grad. School for Health Professionals). Dr. Fisher had gotten my name from Dr. Burnfield and agreed to see me. I must of made a positive impression, because I was ROUTINELY asked to take part in demonstrations to some of the Graduate Students she teaches Physical Therapy to. Once she found out I was a TROJAN, that was IT. ALL MY PRAYERS HAD BEEN ANSWERED. TROJANS take care of one another. AND THIS WAS PROOF! That’s one of the main reasons I chose USC over other colleges. USC is rated #1 in the Nation for Physical Therapy. Looking at my decision in hindsight…I could NOT have chosen a finer college.
4. I found out while working with some of her DPT students alongside Ms. Chelle Prettyman to have survived such a severe accident, & being comatose for 45 days on top of all of that, to reach my level of functionality is 0.5% to 1.0%. The fact that I could reach that is a testament to my ‘FIGHT ON’ spirit
5. This was when I noticed the greatest change in myself, and my Physical functioning. I also started taking an Adaptive P.E. Class near my home in San Pedro, CA. I started going to Mr. Nabeel Barakat, Director of Athletics, Adapted Physical Education Class at Los Angeles Harbor College in Wilmington, CA.
6. I ALSO started going to see Dr. Michael O’ Donnell at his private Physical Therapy Clinic: Harbor Physical Therapy.
7. I just decided I would work the Hardest I could at achieving a small internal change, on a daily basis. Change from something so severe does NOT come at all, or it comes in only small instances: change comes in baby-step distances, a VERY little amount at a time.

Back to Basics- Start the process of re-learning

1. I decided on taking a few classes at the Junior College (Los Angeles Harbor Junior College) to fulfill my Business Law Requirement.
2. I was also extremely self conscious of the way I spoke, so I elected to take EVERY speech class offered on that Campus. Mr. Lorenz Krugar, was the same instructor I had for that class in 1996, the class was Interpersonal Communication which I passed. I then signed up for his Argumentation Class, which I passed again.

Going Home again……HOORAY!…..USC, I’ve got some unfinished business w/ you

1. It took me about 9 years to get back to USC, and I was going to make the most of it.
2. I can remember going to see Mr. Kazi Mamun in Bridge Hall, several times before re-enrolling, I wanted to make sure all the ‘I’s where dotted & my ‘T’s where crossed. I STILL had 7 courses to pass, to be eligible to Graduate.
3. I immediately changed my major from Business Marketing to Entreprenurial Studies, and was accepted into the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneur Studies.
4. The professor I connected the best with was with the MOST brilliant man I ever had on that campus. Dr. Richard Eastin who taught a rather difficult class: Microeconomics for Business Decisions. He was so supportive, he even offered to pay one of his 3^rd year Economic Graduate Students, Guillame Roger to tutor me, and I accepted. I would see him routinely every time he had ‘Office Hours’, I was there…..It was the most difficult course I had ever had to be successful at.
5. I remember telling him that this was the most difficult class I had ever taken. And he grinned at me, and said, ’If you think this work is hard, it’s nothing compared to everything else you’ve been up against’…. I’ll never forget how positively you have touched my life Professor Rich Eastin. You are a very special man, indeed.
6. I was then ready to take my ‘Senior Option’courses:

BAEP 451- Prof. Bill Crookston-passed

BAEP 452- Prof. Tom Knapp- passed

BAEP 453-Prof. Steve Mednick- passed

BAEP 454- Prof Patrick Henry- passed

DATE of Graduation– May 15^th 2009