GROUP OFFERS SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE WITH HEAD INJURIES

The aftermath for survivors of head injuries and their families has been a lonely experience in Southeast Missouri. But since January, the Southeast Missouri Chapter of the Missouri Head Injury Association has met regularly.

From these meetings, victims and their families have gained support through the socialization, education and information of the group.

"And we want to get more and more family members involved," said Cathy Tanksley, a coordinator of the chapter. "We want to see what's important to them."

Tanksley said the chapter is actively recruiting victims and their families.

Presentations about the organization have been planned throughout Southeast Missouri.

Tanksley has been working with head-injury patients for almost five years at St. Francis Medical Center.

She is a speech pathologist typically working with outpatients like Josh Holshouser of Cape Girardeau.

Holshouser, 19, was critically injured July 31 in a car accident on North Kingshighway. He was in a coma for several days and suffered a severe loss of language when he lost control and crashed his truck.

"We didn't know if he would make it through," Holshouser's mother, Joy, said. "We prayed and prayed, and I thank God he's here today. I can't imagine what it would have been like to look over and see an empty chair at the dining room table."

Joy Holshouser said Josh is the eldest of seven children. She said the youngest is 3 months old, born two weeks before Josh's accident.

"It was a lot to go through in a short amount of time," she said.

Holshouser spent seven weeks in the hospital. Part of his skull was removed to compensate for brain swelling. Surgery in December is expected to replace and reshape his skull.

Since regaining consciousness, Holshouser has been under the care of various therapists and began working with Tanksley as an outpatient Sept. 19. Holshouser is one of three patients being treated by Tanksley for traumatic brain injury.

"I like to take patients out in a 'real' setting and see how they're doing," Tanksley said of her rehabilitation methods. "One patient just wanted to be able to drink coffee with his friends. That was his goal. Josh wants to be able to order a meal at a fast-food restaurant."

By taking patients into settings like the mall or fast-food restaurants, Tanksley's treatment becomes more functional and by observing patients in those settings, she can more easily assess progress and make modifications in rehabilitation.

In addition to the clinical rehabilitation Holshouser is undergoing, his mother expressed interest in the support offered by the head injury association.

"This all has happened so quickly," she said. "It changed our lives so fast, I didn't know anything like that existed. If they have an organized group, I'd be interested."

Joy Holshouser has come to realize many people are victims of head injuries. The literature she received while her son was in the hospital listed many statistics regarding head injuries and car accidents.

"I didn't realized how common an occurrence it was," she said. "It turns your life around. Things that were important before, aren't now."

She said support from God, family and friends is valuable after an accident like her son experienced.

"I'm just thankful to have Josh with us," she said.

The next meeting of the Southeast Missouri Chapter of the Missouri Head Injury Association is Nov. 7 at 2 p.m. in the Learning Lab at St. Francis.

GROUP GOALS

PROVIDE SUPPORT to head injury victims and the families.

INCREASE AWARENESS and understanding of the difficulties associated with a head injury.

PROMOTE SPECIALIZED REHABILITATION for the affects of head injury.

DEVELOP NEW PROGRAMS designed to integrate head injury victims into educational and vocational situations.

FORMULATE PROGRAMS that provide permanent or transitional living environments for head injury victims.

SUPPORT LEGISLATION related to prevention of head injuries.

ESTABLISH A STATEWIDE CLEARINGHOUSE for information regarding head injury.

for information about the Missouri Head Injury Association, call 1-800-377-MHIA