You only need to peruse the CDC accident statistics to see that injuries are not just something that happens to other people. Each year millions of people fall victim to forces beyond their control and wind up in emergency rooms across the country. Sadly, these injuries are often life threatening, and at the very least they result in protracted periods of recovery. But while medical miracles can and do occur in this world, medical-billing miracles are a little harder to come by. Those who have found themselves the victim of an accident need vast reserves of cash in order to cover weeks, months, or even years of healthcare costs. And the best way to build this war chest and ensure the best chance for a miraculous recovery is with the help of professionals, such as those available at the Farar Law Group. Here are some examples of folks who made such recoveries.
Bryan Stow, the baseball fan
Traumatic brain injury is a running theme on this list, as it is a major cause of death and disability around the globe. And while there are many inspirational accounts of individuals living with TBIs, few recent stories have left as indelible a mark as the beating of Bryan Stow. Stow, an emergency medical technician from Santa Cruz, CA., was in Los Angeles on opening day in 2011 to watch the Giant’s play the Dodgers. It was just after the game when he was severely beaten by two men in the stadium parking lot.
The injuries were extensive and the prognosis was bleak: Stow had brain bleeding and was subsequently placed in a medically induced coma, which lasted for three months. Considering his comatose state, his inability to speak, and the doubts about whether he’d even live, to see how far Bryan Stow has come in the intervening years is nothing short of a miracle. And after a civil suit was filed on his behalf, a jury determined that the Dodgers were negligent in the attack and ordered to pay $18 million in damages. It’s a much-needed victory to help cover the Stow family’s medical bills and see the miracle through to the end.
Michael Robinson, the vacationer
This story comes from across the pond and is typical of many victims of traumatic brain injuries, including Bryan Stow. What’s not so typical is the amazing recovery. Michael Robinson, 54, was on holiday in the Spanish resort town of Magaluf when he slipped, fell and hit his head on the tile floor in his hotel room. Initially Robinson was conscious and speaking, but his condition deteriorated rapidly on the ride to the hospital, and by the time he arrived his brain was bleeding. Like Stow, he was placed in a medically induced coma and the doctors did not expect him to survive. But after months of rehab Robinson made a near total recovery—despite lingering damage to the frontal area of his brain—and has even returned to his job at Nissan. It’s a testament to just how far a person can come back from even the most harrowing of brain injuries.
Rodney Lee Barnes, living the fast life
Life has a habit of dishing out its fair share of irony. Rodney Barnes was typical of many young males, prone to partying, drinking and casual drug use. Surprisingly, none of these things resulted in his accident. His traumatic brain injury was caused by an incident as seemingly innocuous as falling off a ladder just four feet off the ground onto soft grass. Conscious in the immediate aftermath, it wasn’t until three days later that he slipped into a coma. He eventually came out of it, and at just 21 years old was faced with the prospect of rebuilding his life. The miracle isn’t seen so much in the recovery as it is in how this reformed hellion underwent a transformation in the face of trauma and found a higher calling.
Blake Hyland, the gymnast
14-year-old Blake Hyland was a competitive gymnast in Waco, Texas. During practice one day he hit his head on the concrete floor during a flip and the result was the same as a high-speed car crash. Blake was in a coma for 5 weeks, suffering multiple strokes along the way. Doctors only gave him a 50% chance of survival, but Blake’s parents held fast to the possibility of a miracle recovery. Their prayers were answered, and ultimately Blake not only came out of the coma but regained control of his body as well. Throughout his ordeal, Blake stays positive, saying that such an attitude is medicine for the heart.
Sam Schmid, the boy who came back from the dead
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare: getting the news that a newly independent child, away at college, is involved in a serious car accident. Such was the case with the parents of Sam Schmid, who learned in late 2011 that their son, a junior at the University of Arizona, was involved in a horrific five-car pile-up that nearly ended his life. Officially it did end his life for a brief period, as paramedics on the scene pronounced him dead, and only afterwards did he show movement and signs of life.
But Sam wasn’t out of the woods. He arrived at the hospital comatose and in such critical condition that the doctors pondered taking him off life support while discussing organ donation with his parents. But just as Christmas approached, Sam came out of his coma and began an unbelievable recovery over the course of two years. Once his rehabilitation was complete he walked out of the facility and right back to university life, and even the basketball court. If there is such a thing as a Christmas Miracle, it is personified in the case of Sam Schmid.
These are just a few stories that give even the biggest pessimist cause to reconsider their outlook. What about you? Do you know anyone whose miraculous recovery led to a renewed belief in miracles?
How Mindfulness Can Save Your Life – Literally
Originally posted on August 27, 2015 @ 10:00 am
