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Patient ‘locked in’ by brain injury answers question using thoughts alone

February 16, 2010: A man who was presumed to be in a vegetative state for five years has answered questions using his thoughts alone in a ground-breaking experiment that promises to allow some patients who are “locked in” by brain injuries to communicate.

February 11, 2010: Scientists at the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center and a professor at Columbia University are working on a collaborative study measuring brain damage on traumatic brain injury patients.

February 8, 2010: Retired Warrant Officer and former Army CID Special Agent Jon Renaud, of Colorado Springs, pledged to donate the full royalty for his soon to be release suspense novel to the Wounded Warrior Project. The Wounded Warrior Project will receive royalty payments on the sale of every book and continue to receive the royalties until the book goes out of print.

February 4, 2010: The number of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) casualties has increased tremendously, especially for Route Clearance Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Soldiers who are exposed to IED-associated blasts are often not aware of any resulting mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and return to duty without proper medical diagnosis and treatment.

February 1, 2010: While reporting in Iraq in January 2006, ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff suffered a traumatic brain injury. After months of rehabilitation, Woodruff made a miraculous recovery. The couple established the non-profit Bob Woodruff Foundation (REMIND.org) to help the families of injured veterans. Woodruff and his wife, Lee, talked with USA TODAY about the challenges Lee faced as his caregiver for a year.

January 28, 2010: Kevin Kammerdiener's mother, Leslie, takes care of his every need, which would be fine if he were in preschool. The thing is, "Kamm" is 21. He suffered a traumatic brain injury, shattered bones and burns on 25% of his body in Afghanistan in May 2008, which left him in a wheelchair, unable to speak and in chronic pain. Leslie moved from Pennsylvania to her son's home in Riverview, Fla., to care for him after he spent months at a military hospital in San Antonio.

January 25, 2010: South African scientist Henry Markram is developing what he hopes will be “the world’s first fully conscious, artificial human brain,” a Times Live article reported. Not only could the technology lead to extremely accurate diagnosis and efficient, effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and other brain dysfunctions, it could also give scientists and doctors a window into treatments for traumatic brain injuries.

January 22, 2010: Soon, people suffering from ADHD, Alzheimer’s disease, and brain damage from traumatic brain injuries will be able to enhance their memories while being analyzed and monitored by computerized assistants with human faces.

January 20, 2010: “Every day ten to 15 letters are coming in from people all over the country. It’s just been one blessing after another,” Beau Stecklein described. Just a few months ago, Beau and his family were struggling to make ends meet and keep up on all the bills. Beau hasn’t been able to work since October 2008 because of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) he suffered while in the Army, and the family needed help on rent and making vehicle payments. “We were about to lose the truck. I was fighting to keep it, but we were three payments behind,” Beau said.

January 19, 2010: Research on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can haunt former soldiers and survivors of catastrophes, is shedding light on who may be more vulnerable, and how best to treat each case.

January 14, 2010: SFC Fluidics, a company in Fayetteville, Arkansas, has recently been awarded $5 million in funds from a federal contract to produce a handheld device to diagnose traumatic brain injuries in minutes.

Adaptive Sports Inspire Wounded Veteran

January 11, 2010: Wounded military members struggle with an endless set of challenges in overcoming their physical and mental disabilities. And no one may understand what it takes to get past those hurdles better than Army veteran John Register. Ironically, Register's left leg was amputated in 1994 following an accident in which he jumped across a hurdle.

U.S. Olympic Committee to host Warrior Games

January 8, 2010: The U.S. Olympic Committee will host a sports competition for wounded warriors this year, the first of its kind. The Pentagon announced Thursday that some 200 wounded members of the military and veterans will compete in the inaugural Warrior Games to be held May 10-14 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

January 5, 2010: Veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and their families got an extra boost this holiday season, thanks to the Redistribution Center. The Redistribution Center donated toys to Operation TBI Freedom (OTF) to help veterans with TBI ensure their children received a gift for the holidays. In all, 25 children, ranging in age from 11 months to 13 years, received gifts through the donation.

January 4, 2010: NBC's Today Show featured a segment with the first-ever Challenge Aspen Military Opportunities (C.A.M.O.) Winter Women's Mountain Retreat during the 8-9 a.m. hour on January 4.

December 30, 2009: Local author Kate Dendrinos-Rickel and her husband, Shawn Rickel, recently donated almost 300 copies of their book, I Am Not Supposed to Be Here to Denver Options’ Operation TBI Freedom (OTF) program. OTF is a statewide program that assists active duty and military veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

December 28, 2009: As military veterans return from conflict, they often find that their various injuries make it difficult to engage in the sports they previously enjoyed. Recently, the PGA has teamed up with a number of philanthropic organizations to utilize golf as a tool for rehabilitation, recreation, fundraising, and fun for returning veterans.

December 21, 2009: After her accident, doctors said Kate Dendrinos-Rickel wouldn't live. She did. They said if she lived, she would never speak. Then she spoke. They said if she ever managed to speak, she would never walk. Then she walked. Seven years after their should-have-been-fatal motorcycle crash

December 17, 2009: U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta, celebrated what he calls a “good day for our soldiers” Wednesday when the House of Representatives approved $492 million for increased mental health services for troops and veterans.

December 17, 2009: These days Jason Evans is thinking about going to school to pursue his interest in computers, but not long ago, his future looked like it might be headed in a much different direction. After four tours of duty, Jason had been exposed to numerous blasts and IED attacks, and it was taking its toll on his health.

December 11, 2009: Challenge Aspen Military Opportunities (C.A.M.O.) will launch the first retreat specifically designed to suit the unique needs of returning injured servicewomen.

December 7, 2009: Coming home has been a very healing process for Isaac Torres. During his first and only tour, blast injuries created serious damage to both of his knees. The IEDs exerted so much force that Isaac’s brain was injured, leaving him with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). He also experienced significant Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

December 7, 2009: With more than 480,000 employees in its ranks, the federal government is a leader in employing veterans not only throughout Washington, DC, but also in states across the nation. The United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) reports that veterans constitute more than 25 percent of employees in the federal workforce. Disabled veterans constitute 6 percent of that total.

Veterans Affairs to open clinic in Salida

December 3, 2009: Department of Veterans Affairs officials announced they will open a clinic in Salida for veterans enrolled in veterans affairs health care.

November 30, 2009: Adam Paul hopes to tap into the power of his brain to help rebuild his life. Paul, 29, suffered multiple concussions while serving with U.S. Army combat units in Iraq.

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