Head+Injury+Story-CMP


 * Find an article via the internet about a young person (21 or younger), that has been affected by a head injury. Provide a link to the article on the wiki and summarize the article in a paragraph of complete sentences. Address these questions: How did the injury occur? What was the damage to the brain? What is the recovery like?

Link:** http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/BN/00031.html

When Kristen Jensen was in a car accident, her entire world was turned around. The accident caused great damage to her body, but more to her mind. When she awoke from her coma, she had forgot how to complete every-day functions, such as getting dressed, taking showers, and using the bathroom. All of these actions needed to be reinstalled in her brain before she could lead a normal lifestyle again. At first, she couldn't walk or even talk, but through watching others do these things, she gradually picked up on them until she could do it herself. It was a miraculous recovery, but a very traumatic one. She had the vocabulary of a 2nd grader, but developed the vocabulary of a normal 16-year old in a mere three months. As she was learning how to be independent again, she realized that she hadn't lost her life skills, simply misplaced them in her mind. When her physical therapists taught her things, she remembered them the second they showed her. The doctors weren't sure if Kristen would ever be able to lead a normal life again, but through intense rehabilitation, she regained her strength and got her life back on track.

The injury occurred when Kristen was in a traumatic car-wreck. It damaged her the most when her brain hit the dashboard and smashed forward against the front of her skull. This scrambled the connections from her brain to the rest of her body, causing her to forget how to do many simple tasks. Also, it caused a severe memory-loss, where she couldn't remember certain events even though she was awake, such as over 400 visits from friends and family during her time in the hospital. Her body was not working properly, so she would break out in intense sweats or scratch herself until she bled because her skin was so irritated. The recovery was difficult, but was ultimately a great success. Through intense rehabilitation, she learned how to complete all the functions of a normal human being again. Before the accident, Kristen was fine earning C's in her classes. After the accident, as she reentered school and began learning again, she realized that if she simply studied, she could make A's and B's. She made honor-role for the first time in her life, after the accident occurred. The accident was a tragedy, but it led Kristen to a healthy, stronger life.