Meet
Kellie B. Kellie was a student, a biker and on her way to becoming a
veterinarian when a traumatic brain injury from an accident changed
her life instantly. Her long road of recovery eventually brought her
to Northeast Center for Special Care where she worked hard to
develop the skills she would need to once again live independently
in the community. And Kellie has some great news:
I’m
leaving - I’m going home! I’m progressing and moving
forward with life! (Kellie puts two thumbs up). I’m leaving
Northeast Center and I’m going to my own apartment. I’m
excited and I can’t wait. I’m going to live on my own
again and take care of myself. I feel great about this and I
hope I can have a pet.
My goal is to go back to college and graduate someday - I
really want to finish that. I’m, going to finish taking
animal husbandry. Before my accident I had four years of
college and I want to complete it and be a veterinarian.
That was my goal - a veterinarian. I love animals and I want
to work with them.
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Cindy
Pope, LPN, Nurse Manager, and Kellie B.
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We
asked Kellie to talk about her life and the journey she has traveled
from the time of her accident, her recovery from brain injury
as well as her
experience at Northeast Center for Special Care:
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I was born in Vermont and I spent part of my childhood
there. My parents adopted me and my sister and raised us.
Later we moved to upstate New York and that’s where I grew
up. After high school I worked and went to school. I worked
for a veterinarian while I attended college and as I said I
majored in animal husbandry.
I also went to work as a bartender. I met a lot of bikers
there and that’s where I developed a love of motorcycles.
I also fell in love with a biker and got engaged. I started
riding then.
My brain injury happened because of an accident. I was
riding home from work with my fiancé, it was one or two in
the morning and we were victims of a hit and run by a drunk
driver. My fiancé died but I survived. I went in to a coma
for a long time - I don’t remember how long - but it was
too long.
When I woke up from the coma I remember that I was hungry. I
also remember that there was a cross on the wall of the
room. I talked to the nurses about it and about God - they
used to read parts of the bible to me and that made me
smile. It was a big help when I was recovering.
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Gerry
Brooks, MA, CCC, CBIST and Kellie B. |
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It was a long road for me from the hospital, and trying to
survive and live before I came to Northeast Center - it was
hard.
I’ve learned a lot here. After breakfast every day I get
my mental book where I keep track of what time everything
is, where it is, when it is and how it is! This has helped
me a lot. Being organized keeps me on an even keel so I know
when and where to get things done. I also try to memorize
names to the best of my ability so I know my counselors and
therapists. Anita, my occupational therapist helped me to
learn how to do this.
Physical therapy has also helped me to get strong. I
practice walking and I can walk up and down stairs with my
therapist. That helps me when I go to Peter's dance class -
I get down with the rock and roll sound - ‘shake your
booty!’ (Kellie laughs).
All my classes at Northeast Center helped me to get this far
- people told me I could do it and I started thinking that I
could. Something else that has helped me is my belief in the
Lord - if you can believe in the Lord you can believe in
yourself also. One morning I said a prayer and from then on
I knew that I could make it. It took me a long time to
convince myself that I was doing good, much less making it
but when I knew I was going to be leaving and going to an
apartment, then I knew that I was going to be fine.
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Kellie
B., and her neighborhood staff. |
If I could say something to someone who is going through
what I had to go through I would say to believe in yourself,
believe that you can - if you really want to do it - ‘yes
I can, yes I can,’ you have to say to yourself.
Let me tell you something about Northeast center - ‘it’s
a rush…..it’s a rush!’ It’s a hard ride to recover -
if you want to get back out you have to work for it and you
can do it here.
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Shortly
after this interview, Kelli returned to the community and is
successfully living in her own apartment with supports. Yes she
can, and so can you, your loved one, or your client with the
specialty rehabilitation programs in the Northeast Center for
Special Care community.
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