Today marks just under a year and a half since Brett suffered an anoxic brain injury, and he is continuing to recover and show improvement. Currently he works mainly on short term memory and fine motor skills, all while improving his vision.
When the doctors first read Brett’s brain scans, they were concerned with the amount of damage to his vision center of his brain – but true to form, Brett continues to improve and impress the Neuro ophthalmologists. He spends about six hours in therapy and shows great improvement, but the most impressive indicators are those that happen during the downtime after therapy when he is doing every day tasks. It used to be that people would walk in the room and Brett would identify their voice before recognizing their face, but that rarely happens now as his vision has greatly improved.
Another significant piece of Brett’s recovery is the advancement in his short-term memory. Each day gets a little better. But similar to the changes in his vision, Brett surprises us by recalling special memories. We spend a lot of time scrolling through the iPad looking at photos of the past few years, and remembering things we did, places we’ve been and special friends.
It’s hard to put into words all the changes Brett has gone through. True, he has suffered a significant injury, and yet he’s still the same witty guy he has always been. Sometimes the progress seems vague and the time seems to drag on, but today on February 14th, 2013, Brett is considerably ahead of where he was seventeen months ago and we celebrate each step in his progress.
Happy Valentine’s Day – with love
Glad to hear that Brett is doing well. I remember watching him at Kinnick!
My son competed in BB and FB against Brett in high school. We all appreciated the kind of kid that he was and is…we are following his progress. Best of luck… David Lakin’s Dad from Clinton…
Thank you for the update. Brett is an inspiring young man! I wish him the best in his recovery!
So good to have an update. No surprise that he’s doing so well. Brett always met the goals he set! Would love so much to see you!
Pam Cinadr
Hoping the best for Brett’s recovery. As one who knows what it’s like to have a part of my life stripped away almost 6 years ago, at least I got to enjoy most of my younger years. Best wishes, Brett! I’d wear green for you any day.
Not a day goes by that we do not think of you. Always on our minds. Best to you Brett !
Brett & family,
Juan and I are extremely thrilled to hear of your amazing progress. We are not surprised to hear of your hard work however, since that has always been your way since Juan coached you as a young soccer player. We wish you continued success in your recovery. We are in Ankeny often visiting our daughter and her family; if you ever feel up to a visit, please have your mom or dad let us know and we would love to see you.
Juan & Tammy Nodarse