Michele O'Donnell Fights Back After Brain Injury

BOULDER DAILY CAMERA 12/25/2010

'Miracle Michele' prepares for a return to Superior home
Mother of four's life forever changed after freak accident in Mexico
By John Aguilar Camera Staff Writer
Posted: 12/25/2010 04:53:29 PM MST

Michele O Donnell, right, gets a kiss from her daughter, Alyssa, while her son, John III, and her sister, Amy McAlister, left, sit with her outside her hospital room at the Mapleton Rehabilitation Center at Boulder Community Hospital earlier this month. Michele suffered a severe brain injury when she slipped and fell during a family vacation in January. ( MARTY CAIVANO )

How to help Donations to the O'Donnell Family Fund can be made in person or by mail to:
1stBank
500 S. McCaslin Blvd.
Louisville, CO 80027
Account No. 868-290-1625

Visit http://www.miraclemichele.blogspot.com/ to read about Michele O'Donnell's life over the last 11 months. Donations can also be made on the blog via PayPal.

Michele O'Donnell has been trying for 11 months to get back to her Superior home.
The journey has been slow and wrenching: Michele, 42, has been through seven hospitals in two countries, undergone five brain surgeries, and twice came within a whisper of death.
But her family says the dream of having the once-vibrant mother of four back in "her domain" on Alma Lane could finally come true next month. That's when she's expected to be released from Boulder Community Hospital's rehabilitation wing, where she's trying to re-learn the most basic living skills after suffering a critical head injury when she slipped and fell during a family vacation.
"I can't quite say the home runs the same without her," said John O'Donnell, Michele's husband of 20 years, who has barely missed a day visiting his wife since her January accident. "She loved to entertain, she loved to cook, she loved to take care of her kids."
On a recent afternoon, Michele pointed and smiled at her two daughters and two sons as they milled around her hospital room. Her husband and eldest son helped her from a wheelchair to a bed, where she folded one hand over the other and looked longingly at her family.
Each day brings improvement and reason for the O'Donnell family to hope that everything will be a little closer to normal again. Michele can eat solid food now, string together rudimentary sentences, and even walk a few dozen feet with help. She smiles and weeps and

Michele O Donnell gives her husband, John, a thumbs-up after he helped her into bed at the Mapleton Rehabilitation Center at Boulder Community Hospital earlier this month. At left is their son, Billy. ( MARTY CAIVANO )

responds to her husband during talks on the phone -- a far cry from the listless months where she would stare joylessly straight ahead, or not open her eyes at all.
But she has a long way to go to become the person she once was.
Dr. Julie Stapleton, a doctor at the Mapleton Rehabilitation Center who has worked closely with Michele, said Michele's injury -- an acute subdural hematoma -- was severe, and the complications she endured during her long recovery have taken their toll.
"She won't be 100 percent again, but I can also promise she will get a lot better," Stapleton said.
She said Michele's chances for significant additional improvement are bolstered by the amount of attention and love her family has shown her.
It's a level of love and commitment her family plans to continue giving her as long as she needs it.

'I heard a crack'
On Jan. 27, John O'Donnell was resting in the living room of his family's timeshare in Cancun, Mexico, when he heard a sound he'll never forget.
"I heard a fall and I heard a crack," he said. "Then nothing."
He rushed into the bathroom and found his wife lying on the granite floor bleeding profusely. She had slipped on a wet spot and landed on the back of her head.
Paramedics rushed Michele to the local hospital, where she underwent 51/2 hours of surgery to relieve pressure on her brain. She slipped in and out of consciousness and breathed on a respirator.
"She was fighting for her life," John said.
That fight continued for the next month in Cancun and the next two months at Jackson Memorial Trauma Center in Miami. Some days were better than others, and some were simply horrible.
In late March, Michele had several seizures and her brain began to exert five to seven times its normal pressure. She didn't wake up for three days. Doctors removed an abscess from her brain and she lapsed into critical condition and remained unresponsive for weeks. She had to wear a mouth guard to keep from biting her tongue.
The next month Michele stopped breathing while her 14-year-old daughter Alyssa visited with her. "We almost lost her twice," John said. At

Michele O Donnell gets a kiss from her son, Billy, as she receives acute care in a Cancun, Mexico, hospital about a month after slipping and striking her head on the floor during a family vacation. (Courtesy of the O'Donnell family)

the end of April, Michele was finally stable enough to fly to Colorado, where she entered the neuro-intensive care unit at St. Anthony's Central in Denver. Spring dragged into summer and summer into fall, and Michele was moved to Kindred Hospital in Denver, then Swedish Medical Center in Englewood, then Boulder Manor, an intensive nursing care facility.
In mid-December she was admitted to Mapleton Rehabilitative Center in Boulder.
Michele's body has been under incredible wear and tear during the last 11 months. For most of that time, her head has been shaved of her long blonde hair to make her brain accessible to surgeons and doctors. Part of her skull, which had inexplicably been lost by medical personnel at the hospital in Miami, has been replaced with a titanium flap. She takes up to 15 medications a day to stave off brain headaches, pain and seizures.
For Michele's sister, Amy McAlister, the tragedy of Jan. 27 brings her deep sadness. She remembers a person who never had time to rest or be idle. Aside from running a busy household and overseeing four children ranging in age from 8 to 18, Michele worked with her husband at his business and equipment financing firm in Arvada.
"The girl never sat still," McAlister said. "If it wasn't doing stuff around the house, it was doing stuff for others. She always had lists, always had things she had to get done."
While Michele has been stilled from her busy life, her family and friends have taken delight in the improvements of the last couple of months.
Steve Smith, a family friend, said he was floored this past autumn when he noticed Michele express emotion for the first time in eight months. She winked at him as he read the newspaper to her and smiled ever so slightly, as if she could understand what he was saying.
"It was almost like she re-entered her body," he said.
Since then, Smith has seen Michele, who now has a short crop of golden hair, take her first steps and crack her first jokes.
"There's a fight inside of this lady that you can't believe," he said.
Astronomical bills
But the fight for life hasn't been cheap.
John's business has had to take a back seat to his wife's well-being. Meanwhile, the medical bills for Michele's care have climbed into astronomical figures. The O'Donnells' home in Superior was foreclosed on in mid-December.
"I've had to take care of her medical needs, so I had to let the mortgage go," John said.
Despite the foreclosure filing, the family hopes to remain in the house for the foreseeable future. John moved ahead with renovations, making the bathroom and master bedroom wheelchair accessible. He is trying to figure out if he needs to install some kind of lift or elevator in the home.
"He's wiped out," said Smith, who fears that his friends won't be able to remain in the house for much longer.
Even so, John recently took over for Smith as president of the Rock Creek Homeowners Association, a move Smith described as his friend's way of staying busy and staving off depression. John also started a blog called "Miracle Michele," in which he documents the struggles, and the increasing delights, that have unfolded over the last 11 months.
John said he places his trust in God and draws off his Catholic faith for inspiration and the will to go on. The result is a man who greets everyone with an infectious energy and warm smile -- the rare person who seems devoid of pessimism.
He said his wife -- and high-school sweetheart (Michele graduated from Boulder High while John graduated from Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora) -- supported him when he lost a kidney to cancer. Now it's her turn to receive his undying love.
"She never left my side and I will never leave her side," he said. "We'll figure it out. If I have to get five jobs, I will."
John said his children have been instrumental in keeping the household running in Michele's absence. Their oldest son, 18-year-old Billy, has had to shoulder much of the burden of caring for the family. The Monarch High senior, who is bound for the Navy, said his mother's accident thrust him into adulthood sooner than he could have ever guessed.
"We help each other out to make meals, to get to school," Billy said of his siblings. "I'm glad this was pushed on me. It made me grow up."
Going home a year later
Now the family thinks of nothing but bringing Michele home. If she is released from the Mapleton center in Boulder at the end of January, as expected, she will have spent a full year away from home.
"We're all excited for her to be here at this next level," said John, caressing his wife's arm outside her hospital room as she sat up straight in her wheelchair. "Normally you don't want to see someone crying. But in this case, it means you're living, you're getting better."
John has asked friends and family to wait until 3 p.m. every day before visiting Michele so she can put all of her focus on getting better.
McAlister said her sister walks farther and farther every day, pushing herself through the pain and frustration of making her body work again.
"She cursed and screamed and cried through the whole thing, but she did it," McAlister said of a recent physical therapy session.
Smith said he doesn't know how long it will take, but he's confident that one day his friend will be her old self again -- funny, buoyant, tireless and ready to welcome someone into her home for a delicious meal and an evening of grand conversation.
"The truth is that I believe that Michele will recover 100 percent," Smith said. "I think she'll amaze everyone."

Contact Camera Staff Writer John Aguilar at 303-473-1389 or aguilarj@dailycamera.com.


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MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE O'DONNELL FAMILY

Merry Christmas from The O'Donnell Family

As you all know 2010 brought our family a tragedy that has kept us on our toes throughout the entire year. We started out the year with "Hope". Hope that our Mother and wife would make it through the day, week, month and ultimately the year. Our Faith kept us strong during trying times when we just were not sure what the outcome would be. Our Love for each other grew even stronger than ever before and when you add them all together we ended up with a year of Faith, Hope and Love that resulted in a Miracle from our Lord. Our Family is truly blessed this year.

Billy now 18 has grown up so much this year and has become a gentleman. He recently finished high school and is preparing to head off to the navy early next year. Billy is a waiter at local restaurant and enjoys skiing twice a week.

Tana is 16 and now has her drivers license and is a Junior in high school. She has a boyfriend and works at an Ice cream store at the mall, babysitter and hangs out with her friends.

Alyssa is 14 and is in 8th grade. She has been doing great in school to prepare for high school. Alyssa is also a babysitter and enjoys hanging out with her friends. She is still our little artist of the family and she is painting many pictures. She has taken a special interest in her Mothers care and I will not be surprised to see her someday working in the health care industry.

John is 8 and still the smiling joy in our house. He works hard at school work and plays every spare minute with the neighborhood boys. Legos, dart gun wars, Xbox, WII are some of his favorite things to do.

I spent the entire year in hospitals praying next to my wife. I watched her for 6 months as she continued to get worse and worse and while I never gave up Hope I continued to pray by her side and ask God to give her back to her family. I watched my children grow up quickly this year and I was amazed and proud on how well they responded to every battle we faced as a family. They flew out to Florida the week of Easter as I felt that their Mother may not make it and all of them handled it well and the week we spent together in the hospital will never be forgotten.

Michele will attend Christmas Eve mass with the family and she will be home Christmas day to spend the holiday with her family. Michele should be home on January 27th exactly 1 year after her fall and we are blessed to have her back.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Miracle Michele, John, Billy, Tana, Alyssa and John John

UPDATE 12/22

I can't help but write a little note about my visit with Michele this afternoon. I arrived at 3:05 today, and Michele was grinning from ear to ear, telling me that she just got her feed tube taken out 10 minutes ago! She showed me her bandage (see the great pic), said that it hurt, and also said that she was supposed to have PT any minute . . . and that Dr. Stapleton told her just to rest for the remainder of the afternoon. She also just got her period, so between that and the feed tube removal, she was NOT going to PT. (You know what I was thinking . . . WE'LL SEE!)

Heather, the physical therapist came in right on cue and Michele got very upset saying that Dr. Stapleton told her to rest. Heather checked this out and told Michele that Dr. Stapleton had not said this . . . and then the real fun began! Michele got very upset, but after Heather calmed her down, and I told her that maybe I could watch her session and see what she could do, she started smiling and looking to prove herself. I said that there was no way she could be in enough pain that she was smiling at the same time, so she whipped her legs off the side of the bed and pushed herself up so that she was sitting on the side of her bed. She sat up very tall on her own and I was just amazed to be able to see this progress from December 9. She was supporting herself completely, with feet on the floor. Very cool.

Heather first stretched out Michele's right foot and leg, which was really tight. The two of them had a conversation regarding the tightness and the fact that this leg was looser than it was just yesterday. Then, Heather put her wheelchair in front of her, with handles facing Michele. Michele tucked her feet in a bit and with just a little of Heather's help, stood straight up, holding the handles. It was beyond amazing. There was no crying . . . only smiling! I wish I had my camera to show you how she did this. Her hips are still a little tight so her butt was out a bit, but the rest of her body was straight and tall. After standing for about a minute, she reached back towards the bed and sat back down. Then, it was up again to a standing position. She did this three times and on the third time I stood in front of her . . . looking at her eye to eye . . . something I told her we hadn't done in a year! It was so cool and she was smiling! She said "I'm going home to be with my girls and boys!" That's the truth!

After she got back to bed I told Heather that this is Michele's new bar - that she can work through ANYTHING, even the pain of her period and after having her feed tube yanked out! Her headache was only at a 4, which was lower than I've seen in a very long time. She looked great and obviously felt great. The only thing that's bugging her now is that darned eye patch. Amy came in and then an old family friend, Ann Williamson who volunteers at the hospital on Tuesdays. Michele was very talkative and it was a great visit! I left at 4:30 so Amy could give Michele her manicure treatment. And did I mention, NO FEED TUBE!!!!!!!

Cindy.

UPDATE 12/19

Well it has been just over a week at Mapleton and Michele is doing great. This transition to the 7th and hopefully the last hospital has been one of the hardest. You would think we have this down by now but each new phase she goes through gets tougher and tougher with this one being no different. The family had to come to terms with the fact that it is best that we are not at the hospital during the day as Michele has work to do and we would only be in the way. This is tough as we all have spent so much time with her and know her routine and what she wants and needs, however this is exactly why we needed to stay away. What we were used to is what Michele has to now learn on her own. No more speaking for her, no more getting the tissue box, no more helping get dressed, no more helping to eat. All of these things we all take for granted and Michele has to learn them again as if she was a new born baby. I can proudly say she can now walk over 60 feet with a walker, dress her self, bathe her self, eat, take her meds by mouth, brush her hair and teeth and much more. She does not always want to do the things she is being made to and that is why I made it mandatory that she has no visitors during the day until after 3pm. It is very hard to watch as she trys to say no to therapy and no is not an option. This is her job and she only has a limited amount of time. Because of this she is really progressing very quickly because she wants to come home. Today she started to use the stairs which means she will walk to her bedroom when she finally returns home. Our goal is for her to return home on January 27th which will be the 1 year anniversary of her accident. I have a calendar on her wall and we mark off each day getting closer to our goal. I had Michele's shunt moved again this week as she has lost the ability to say her childrens names and I think the adjustment just may do the trick and we will see over the next few weeks. Michele will be fitted for prism glasses for the time being and we will have her 6th nerve operated on in the future to fix her double vision. My sister Brenda came to visit and helped me with the transition to the new hospital.

John

SPECIAL UPDATE 12/15

A very special request for my sister Miracle Michele and her family:

Dear Friends and Family,

I have a very special request of you this holiday season. If you know me well, you know how much my sister Michele means to me. This past year has been more difficult than I could ever imagine, for myself… but more importantly for my sister and her family. There are several people I know who can’t live without her, me being one of them.

As you shop for holiday gifts over the next few weeks, please take the flyer below into department stores and grocery stores. Ask to speak to the manager and tell them Michele’s story. Tell them about her children and husband, and what they’ve all endured the past year. Many stores have an alottment of gift cards they can give away for charitable reasons. How great would it be for us to present John and his family with a stack of gift cards to make this a great Christmas!

Regardless of the lifestyle any of us lead, the O’Donnell Family needs our help right now, and I for one am not ashamed or embarrassed to ask for your help. I would do anything for them, so please help me with my fundraiser! John has no idea I’m doing this, but I think he’ll catch on when the gift cards come rolling in.

Please send the gift cards to the address below. On the outside of your envelope write “Amy’s Fundraiser”.

THANK YOU ALL!!!
Michele’s Partner in Crime, Amy

The O’Donnell Family – 1856 Alma Lane Superior, CO 80027

For those of you out of state, our local grocery stores are Safeway, Alberstons, Whole Foods and Kroger Stores.

PRINT FLYER BELOW

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On January 27, 2010 Michele O’Donnell fell and suffered an acute subdural hematoma, requiring emergency surgery to save her life. She was in Cancun, Mexico on vacation with her family, and spent the next month in ICU fighting for her life in and out of comas, and enduring a multitude of infections in the hospital in Mexico. Her husband John was by her side the entire time.
When Michele was stable enough to fly back to the United States on a Medivac flight, John was by her side when they landed on US soil. It was an emotional day for her entire family. Although the family lives in Colorado, the closest flight from Mexico was to Miami, Florida, as Michele's safety was priority. She spent the next 2 months in ICU, enduring another hematoma, several surgeries and another round of infections. There was no real prognosis of Michele’s recovery, it was a constant waiting game and there were no clear answers or solutions to her injuries. John remained by her side in Miami, and flew the kids down during Easter when things looked like they were taking a turn for the worse.

In April, Michele was stable enough to make the trip home to Colorado on another Medivac flight with John. She endured another surgery, replacing the portion of her skull that was removed and discarded in Miami. She spent another 2 weeks in ICU before being transferred to an acute care hospital for 5 months, a skilled nursing facility for 2 months, and is currently going through intense physical, occupational and speech therapy for 50 days in a specialized rehab facility for patients with brain injuries.

Michele O’Donnell is the mother of 4 children, Billy 18, Tana 16, Alyssa 14, and John John 9. She is married to her high school sweetheart, John of nearly 20 years. Michele has always lived her life to the fullest and truly enjoys being a mother and wife. She loves to cook, and created her own cookbook for friends and family of recipes that she has created over the years. Her home is her domain, and is a place where Michele entertains friends and family often, for any occasion.
We hope that Michele regains the ability to walk and talk, so that she can lead the life she deserves to lead. As before, her life will be dedicated to raising her children and enjoying a fulfilling marriage with her husband. Her husband and 4 children are clearly her purpose for living. YOU MAY FOLLOW MICHELE’S RECOVERY AT http://www.miraclemichele.blogspot.com/

UPDATE 12/8

It has been some time since my last email but the action has not stopped regarding Michele's recovery. Every day is a new day and full of accomplishments. I have spent the last 2 weeks planning Michele's next step in her progression towards her ultimate goal of returning home for good. Michele needs to go to an Acute rehab facility which means she needs to participate at least 3 hours a day. This is a tough task for someone that has spent 10 months without moving at all however I do believe Michele is ready for the next step in her recovery and when I ask her if she is ready she says yes but she is scared. Her therapy is hard and changing hospitals brings new chalanges and more work. If you know my Michele you all know she is a hard worker and she will make it ovr time. She is not one to give up easily and over time she will get used to her new schedule. I have included below the last 2 updates from her sisters to let you all know what she has been doing the last few days. Michele will be discharged from the Boulder Manor tomorrow morning at 9:30 AM and heading to Mapleton Rehab Center located in Boulder. This facility is close to home and gives the family a chance to help in her rehab on a daily basis. You will see below what progress Michele has made recently as she has discovered the "PHONE" I get a call 3-4 times a day and I cant tell you how excited I am to talk to my wife during the day no matter where I am. I have spent the last 11 months making an effort to go to the hospital to kiss my wife good night EVERY night and I still do for the most part but this new communication takes us to a new level as I can actually have a conversation with her over the phone and it is like when we were teens. You know the story! "I love you! I love you too! ok you hang up first, no you, OK on the count of three we both hang up. 1,2,3 are you still there of course I am you did not hang up, but you agreed to hang up, so did you. Ok lets try this again on the count of 3 we will hang up. OK? Yes.

I feel like a kid again! John


12-06-10 by Amy McAlister

Michele had a great evening... she was REALLY talkative! It's amazing that now she can almost talk in full sentences. AND she's HILARIOUS!!! We were laughing pretty hard. One of her favorite things to do is talk on the phone, and boy did she ever surprise me yesterday!!!

Michele called my work phone around 12:50 yesterday. I was so surprised when I answered! Although we used to talk every day, she was actually the last person I expected to hear on the other line. I asked her if Cindy was there and she said, "no she just left". So I asked if Cindy wrote down my work number for her and she said, "no, I remembered it!". WOW!!! Amazing!!! I called her again when I left work to tell her I was on the way and ask if she needed anything. It's really cool that she has this new connection to the outside world!

Billy called to chat with his Mom for awhile, and Michele also talked to Karen at length.

We practiced names earlier in the evening, and it really upsets her when she can't get names right. When she holds up 4 fingers I know she's referring to the kids. It's a relief when she laughs at herself when she gets the name wrong, and she's determined to get it right.

Overall, Michele had no complaints last night, other than her meds were late. She called Lindsay in to ask for them. Dinner was ordered, and when it arrived, she ate quite a bit - pasta with a light meat sauce. She seemed to enjoy it. Amy.

12-08-10 Cindy Skerjanec.

I write this report today with mixed feelings . . . thinking about how far Michele has come at Boulder Manor, and getting the news today that she will move over to Mapleton Rehabilitation Center TOMORROW MORNING! Yes, John was able to work some magic and get her approved to move quickly. Michele is a little nervous about it (she keeps thinking that she needs to be walking on day one) but everyone that came in and talked to her today, or said goodbye, told her that she was going to do great! She had a sweet and tearful goodbye with Carla, as she told Carla that she loved her and thanked her for everything she did. There wasn't a dry eye in the room.



She was in good spirits and even sent me out (with Carla's approval) to McDonald's to get her a plain cheeseburger since she had missed the lunch tray earlier in the afternoon. Carla worked with her on speech while John worked with the wheelchair guy on fitting Michele's wheelchair with some new bells and whistles.



Michele pointed to the pictures and practiced names as John carefully removed all of the pictures from the walls and the closet door. He got everything boxed up and ready to go for tomorrow, taking most of it with him in his car. The room is pretty bare now, which made the reality of it all hit home. We have all gotten so comfortable with the staff, knowing each person by name and by their quirky personality traits, and knowing her schedule to a tee. Now all of that is going to be new again, which I think scares Michele a little, too. She had that place hopping!

Her head was itchy, so when Liz came, she and I washed Michele's hair in her bed and she said it felt much better afterwards. Billy was going to stop by and have dinner with Liz and Michele in her room, which she was really looking forward to.

Hard to believe that we are on to a new adventure again . . . one surely to be filled with many more exciting advancements! John said that the staff at Mapleton will need some time to evaluate Michele, and get her routine and schedule down before we all make our plans to visit. Stay tuned for more information as we work to accommodate the new facility and the new rhythm of Michele's schedule. We will get a new schedule together once everything has been established, but I'm guessing that next week will be a family-only week as we set the stage for this new stepping stone for Michele. Cindy.

Our Miracle does not seem to stop and only gets better by the day. Michele and I spent the evening last night going over her complete story including pictures of what she has been through. Yes all the gory details I have told her and shown all pictures. She was amazed, emotional and in wonderment. She asked why am I alive? This was really bad! Why am I still hear? I told her she was a true Miracle and we all need to appreciate the wonderful gife that has been give to us and use our new gift of life to the fullest potential. She agreed and we vowed to work together to make the best of the miracle that has been bestowed upon our family. Michele is determined to get better and continue her life with her family and friends. It is only a matter of time now.

John