Helpful book to track recovery from brain injury

Open Letter to Mark E. Kelly


Dear Mark,

My thoughts and prayers are with you and Gabrielle.  After learning some of what her surgeon had to say about her condition, I felt drawn to suggest a resource that helped me support my mother through brain surgery in 1995.

In April of 1995, my mother, now 96, underwent brain surgery for two subdural hematomas.  These blood clots--caused by am old accident and a recent blow to the head--grew to the point that her brain was being compressed.  She was on Coumadin and the surgeons had to wait until her blood could clot.

They shaved her head, pulled her scalp forward, and drilled four holes in her head--trepanning, surgery found in the skulls of cavemen.  One hole allowed the air to come in and the other allowed the blood to flow out.  They had to have two pairs of holes, one for each clot.

She almost died before they started surgery.  Her body functions were starting to fail.  The surgery was successful and she was alert and speaking well immediately after the surgery.  Then her brain, which had been compressed, had to swell to return to normal size.  It took several weeks to recover--which she did successfully.  A book written by Glen Doman--in particular the Doman-Delacro Developmental Profile in the book--really helped me as I went through her recovery with her.  The book is What to Do About Your Brain-Injured Child  and is available from Amazon.com.  (I ordered two updated and revised copies tonight so that I can send one to you.)

I will look for an older copy of the book so that I can scan the chart and email it to you immediately.  (I found the chart and copyright restrictions keep me from sending you a copy.  It will be better seen in the book so that you can have the context of the chart.)

The book more accurately described the stages of brain growth, healing, and repair than the neurosurgeons did who performed the successful surgery.

This information may help both you and Gabrielle to understand her healing process better.

God bless you both and all concerned with her healing process.

I am posting this email to my blog and sending you the link in care of Diane Sawyer at ABC News because I believe she can forward it to you.  Let me know where to send your copy of Glen Doman's book.

Sincerely,

Joel Montgomery