Participating Artists
PhotoVoice Exhibit Artist
Michael William Kelly
My name is Michael William Kelly but my friends call me Mike. On December 19, 2008 at the age of 23, I was living and working in the Sacramento area. A few months prior my southern Californian employer had asked if I wanted to move to Sacramento in order to help open up a new office in the area. Around the same time I had recently crashed my motorcycle which was my only means of transportation and when I explained that if I moved I wouldn’t have any way to get to work to my boss stated that they would provide transportation for me to and from work and any work related events or appointments. This sounded great to me, although on the morning of the 19th, would not work out in my benefit.
On this particular morning, my office had recently returned from a conference in Tennessee where, by coincidence, we had also celebrated my 23rd birthday and everything was running behind schedule. I was running late, my driver was running late and a coworker’s car had failed him so he was running late. Me, being in a supervisory position, offered to pick him up and the fact that it was on my way made it a little easier. I was running the meeting that morning and informed my driver of the detour as well as the importance of me being on time. He understood and stepped on the gas.
Shortly after picking up my coworker, we jumped back on Highway 80 and to no surprise, it was filled with traffic. Having dealt with this many times previously, my driver had no problem weaving in and out of traffic and making good time. Then, out of nowhere, a lane which seemed to emerge from thin air, opened with no cars in it for what seemed like miles. Racing the clock, my driver stepped on the gas, maneuvered to the lane and was quickly passing cars which were completely stopped in the lane to our left. Suddenly, a car which was stopped made the same discovery we had only seconds before and switched lanes a few car lengths ahead of us. With no time to spear, my driver slammed on the breaks and swerved but between the guard rail and the car there was nowhere to go. We hit the car and our momentum carried us into the guard rail and back into the car. Somewhere in this repetitive back in forth crashing against the car and the divider the passenger door where I was sitting became ajar and had gotten peeled backwards. This combined with the now rotating motion of the car and the seatbelt failing allowed me to get thrown from the car.
I got lucky, I was told, because where I landed was the only grassy section for miles in both directions. Although I landed in the grass, I landed on my head and the way I landed caused me to fracture my C1 vertebrae twice (called a Jefferson fracture), fractured a rib, moved my previously fractured collar bone, sustained lacerations to my spleen and liver and hit my hear so hard that my brain bounced off the inside of my skull, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). They say that I was awake at the scene and asked the paramedic in the ambulance where we were going. When he replied that I was hurt and we were going to the hospital, I contested with a “No” and continued by explaining that I had to go to work.
I have no recollection of any of this at all. I remember a little of the last few days of being in the hospital for a month and five days. Doctors told me that I was lucky to have survived such injuries and credit this to my age and being in good physical shape at the time. They continued to say that a majority of people in my situation wouldn’t have survived but of those that did, most would be in a wheelchair. I’m thankful everyday to have recovered the way that I have and I believe it has a lot to do with support from family and friends, especially my dad and the Man Upstairs.
Since surviving TBI life has been different and difficult but I continue to think positive and everyday is a step forward. My main problems revolve around the loss of my short term memory, the inability of handling certain emotions and issues with fatigue. My family and friends have learned to help me with these problems and I’ve also found that good nutrition and exercise play a key role in my brains recovery. I’ve also learned to take better notes and place reminders to help me remember important things. For me, noticing my problems and learning to function with them properly is the hardest part. It was no help that at the time of the accident I had no medical insurance and thus therapy and doctors appoints have been difficult with State Health Insurance, which I obtained shortly after.
What I would like the community to know about Traumatic Brain Injury is that these people often look the same and act the same but still have problems. The average TBI survivor doesn’t have a cast or a neck brace to show the world that they are hurt and sometimes this causes them to go unnoticed or cause further social problems. The message that I would like to send out would be to treat everyone equal and to be kind and understanding. Look past appearance, clothes and skin color and actually listen to people when they talk. Try to treat people as you would like to be treated and I grantee that you’ll be surprised.
Artworks
Calendar
Photographer: Michael William Kelly
In order to remember appointments all the way down to everyday tasks and choirs I must write them down and remember to check my notes or else I will most definitely forget to do them.
Whiteboard
Photographer: Michael William Kelly
TBI memory problems force me to take constant notes and place reminders everywhere in my line of vision and this helps remind me of important things to do.
Energy Drinks
Photographer: Michael William Kelly
Since surviving Traumatic Brain Injury I have had problems with fatigue and often times have self medicated with over-the-counter energy drinks filled with caffeine in order to make it through the day.
For more information, contact CCCIL: Crystal Loutzenhiser 831-462-8728 cloutzenhiser@cccil.org or Irene Garcia 831-757-2968 igarcia@cccil.org
Los artistas participantes
Exposición Fotográfica Artista
Michael William Kelly
My name is Michael William Kelly but my friends call me Mike. On December 19, 2008 at the age of 23, I was living and working in the Sacramento area. A few months prior my southern Californian employer had asked if I wanted to move to Sacramento in order to help open up a new office in the area. Around the same time I had recently crashed my motorcycle which was my only means of transportation and when I explained that if I moved I wouldn’t have any way to get to work to my boss stated that they would provide transportation for me to and from work and any work related events or appointments. This sounded great to me, although on the morning of the 19th, would not work out in my benefit.
On this particular morning, my office had recently returned from a conference in Tennessee where, by coincidence, we had also celebrated my 23rd birthday and everything was running behind schedule. I was running late, my driver was running late and a coworker’s car had failed him so he was running late. Me, being in a supervisory position, offered to pick him up and the fact that it was on my way made it a little easier. I was running the meeting that morning and informed my driver of the detour as well as the importance of me being on time. He understood and stepped on the gas.
Shortly after picking up my coworker, we jumped back on Highway 80 and to no surprise, it was filled with traffic. Having dealt with this many times previously, my driver had no problem weaving in and out of traffic and making good time. Then, out of nowhere, a lane which seemed to emerge from thin air, opened with no cars in it for what seemed like miles. Racing the clock, my driver stepped on the gas, maneuvered to the lane and was quickly passing cars which were completely stopped in the lane to our left. Suddenly, a car which was stopped made the same discovery we had only seconds before and switched lanes a few car lengths ahead of us. With no time to spear, my driver slammed on the breaks and swerved but between the guard rail and the car there was nowhere to go. We hit the car and our momentum carried us into the guard rail and back into the car. Somewhere in this repetitive back in forth crashing against the car and the divider the passenger door where I was sitting became ajar and had gotten peeled backwards. This combined with the now rotating motion of the car and the seatbelt failing allowed me to get thrown from the car.
I got lucky, I was told, because where I landed was the only grassy section for miles in both directions. Although I landed in the grass, I landed on my head and the way I landed caused me to fracture my C1 vertebrae twice (called a Jefferson fracture), fractured a rib, moved my previously fractured collar bone, sustained lacerations to my spleen and liver and hit my hear so hard that my brain bounced off the inside of my skull, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). They say that I was awake at the scene and asked the paramedic in the ambulance where we were going. When he replied that I was hurt and we were going to the hospital, I contested with a “No” and continued by explaining that I had to go to work.
I have no recollection of any of this at all. I remember a little of the last few days of being in the hospital for a month and five days. Doctors told me that I was lucky to have survived such injuries and credit this to my age and being in good physical shape at the time. They continued to say that a majority of people in my situation wouldn’t have survived but of those that did, most would be in a wheelchair. I’m thankful everyday to have recovered the way that I have and I believe it has a lot to do with support from family and friends, especially my dad and the Man Upstairs.
Since surviving TBI life has been different and difficult but I continue to think positive and everyday is a step forward. My main problems revolve around the loss of my short term memory, the inability of handling certain emotions and issues with fatigue. My family and friends have learned to help me with these problems and I’ve also found that good nutrition and exercise play a key role in my brains recovery. I’ve also learned to take better notes and place reminders to help me remember important things. For me, noticing my problems and learning to function with them properly is the hardest part. It was no help that at the time of the accident I had no medical insurance and thus therapy and doctors appoints have been difficult with State Health Insurance, which I obtained shortly after.
What I would like the community to know about Traumatic Brain Injury is that these people often look the same and act the same but still have problems. The average TBI survivor doesn’t have a cast or a neck brace to show the world that they are hurt and sometimes this causes them to go unnoticed or cause further social problems. The message that I would like to send out would be to treat everyone equal and to be kind and understanding. Look past appearance, clothes and skin color and actually listen to people when they talk. Try to treat people as you would like to be treated and I grantee that you’ll be surprised.
Obras de arte
Calendar
Photographer: Michael William Kelly
In order to remember appointments all the way down to everyday tasks and choirs I must write them down and remember to check my notes or else I will most definitely forget to do them.
Whiteboard
Photographer: Michael William Kelly
TBI memory problems force me to take constant notes and place reminders everywhere in my line of vision and this helps remind me of important things to do.
Energy Drinks
Photographer: Michael William Kelly
Since surviving Traumatic Brain Injury I have had problems with fatigue and often times have self medicated with over-the-counter energy drinks filled with caffeine in order to make it through the day.
For more information, contact CCCIL: Crystal Loutzenhiser 831-462-8728 cloutzenhiser@cccil.org or Irene Garcia 831-757-2968 igarcia@cccil.org
