Recovery Miles Affleck
Welcome to all. I'm Miles Affleck. We
live in Northern California in Vacaville, California. My wife Debbie and I are the parents
of 2 children, Ryan age 23, and Amanda 20, a junior at San Diego State University.
On March 15, 1997, Ryan was attending a fraternity function at the college he was attending. After a day of drinking Ryan attempted to jump from a second story apartment roof to another roof 15 feet away. Ryan didn't make it, and fell head first, 23 feet to the concrete below, landing on his head.
The paramedics were summoned, and Ryan was delivered to the trauma unit, with a Glascow coma score of 3. The Glascow score ranges from 3 to 15, with 3 considered brain dead. Ryan was breathing on his own (minimally) and his pupils were fixed and dilated. We received the phone call from the hospital and drove the 2 hours to be at his side. Considering the fall, Ryan had a closed head injury, and no broken bones, not even any soft tissue damage. He did however incur a serious diffuse brain injury, as you can well imagine.
The early acute stages at the trauma center were absolutely the most difficult. We were there with no knowledge of brain injury, and only the medical professionals telling us to contact family members, as it appeared Ryan would not survive. This most difficult time is an area that I know the Recovery Awareness Foundation will address, as it is critical for all family and friends. It would have been invaluable to have at least some information on brain injury.
Since the accident, Ryan has had 4 surgeries, which include the installation of a shunt, and a small portion of right frontal lobe damaged tissue removed.
Today, Ryan is doing quite well. We are very fortunate with our outcome. Ryan is high functioning, drives, and is currently enrolled in 9 semester units at a local community college.
The acute stage, rehabilitation, and the entire recovery process, is a long journey. With the diligent work of Joan Landon, Ila Nofziger, the members of the CARE-BI internet caregivers, we plan to and will make a difference in the lives of the many people who face this often-tumultuous road of brain injury.
It is important to always remember the 3 components to our survival; Hope, Love, and Faith.
As I tell many people when talking about Ryan and his accident, this has been one of the most valuable experiences of our lives.
Miles Affleck
Ryan's Dad