Much lies ahead for those impacted by the tragic shooting incident in Tucson, Ariz. on Jan. 8, 2011. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head, is currently undergoing treatment and her doctors say they are guardedly optimistic she will recover from her injuries. While it is impossible to provide an exact scenario for a patient who sustains this type of injury, the following link from the Brain Injury Association of America provides broad details on the treatment and recovery process brain injury patients face. http://www.biausa.org/brain-injury-treatment.htm
The shooting victims will face many personal challenges in their journey, and EmpowHER member Jennifer Longdon understands them. She was the victim of a random shooting in Phoenix, Ariz. on Nov. 15, 2004. Her finance sustained brain injuries from the bullets, which left long term effects including cognitive challenges and blindness. Longdon’s spinal cord was struck, and parts of both lungs had to be surgically removed. She now has no sensation or function from her chest down, and no muscle power in her stomach or back to help her do things as simple as sitting up. (That movement alone took her two weeks to learn.) The people who shot Longdon and her fiance were never found.
Today Longdon, 50, has an active life that includes working as a realtor specializing in accessible housing services, being an athlete who has participated in several marathons, serving her community in distinguished roles and more. She has a unique, real-world perspective on the process involved in recovering from senseless gun violence, so we asked for her thoughts.
An Advocate’s Prayer for the Victims of the Tucson Shooting Tragedy
By Jennifer Longdon
For most Americans, the Tucson shooting tragedy will lead to discussions ranging from free speech to gun rights to the way we diagnose and treat the mentally ill. For the 19 individuals who were shot and their families and friends, the conversations will be very different.
For some, the priorities will be funeral arrangements and the myriad details that mark the too-soon passage of their loved ones. Others will be learning how to change dressings and apply therapies. Some will have extensive hospital stays and extensive rehabilitation periods, and will find themselves thrust into a system of procedures, acronyms and hierarchies that confound and frustrate. They’ll face decisions they are ill-equipped to make, and call on levels of inner strength they never knew they had.
The survivors have already passed some significant milestones. They received treatment in that “golden” first hour after injury. They’ve survived the first 24 hours post-trauma. Let’s reflect on that miracle for just a moment. Our trauma system works. Without a designated Level One Trauma Center nearby, the loss of life would likely be even higher. Tucson, fortunately, isn’t one of the communities that has lost high level trauma care to budget cuts.
As a survivor of gun violence, I have learned firsthand that everyone is equal in the trauma room. Anyone with the misfortune to wind up there will be treated to the best of the trauma team’s ability without regard to who they are and their ability to pay. It’s the days after initial survival that decisions and dollars become critical in determining the patient’s lifelong outcome.
Congresswoman Giffords will receive the very best care that a person can receive in the U.S. She’ll be seen by the nation’s top doctors. She’ll get rehabilitation support from the doctors and facility that are best suited for her injury. Every piece of equipment and therapeutic intervention that will improve her quality of life and improve her chances of recovery will be made available. She and her family will have the benefit of counsel from the nation’s leading experts. These resources will pave a path for the best possible outcome as a result of her injury. That’s as it should be. For everyone.
It’s my prayer that every one of the 14 surviving victims receives the same quality of care as that afforded a member of the U.S. Congress. I pray that these innocent victims are sent to the rehab facility that offers the best chances for optimal recovery but know they may instead go to a lesser facility due to cost issues. I hope they receive timely treatments and do not end up mired in paperwork and the endless delays created by medical review panels and the denial/appeal process. Most people don’t realize that treatments and equipment that will improve a patient’s future quality of life are frequently denied or ended prematurely because of payment issues.
I would strongly advise each of the victims to obtain a knowledgeable advocate who can help them understand the language and procedures they are facing. They would also benefit from capable legal counsel. They will need to make complicated decisions that they have not been trained for in order to deal with, and often to fight with, the insurance system.
I hope that every one of these 14 patients has the support of the nation in the weeks and months to come, including a cheering section to mark every hard-won victory in their journeys. For some, those victories will come in nearly-microscopic increments. For others, physical healing will be nearly-miraculous. While we as a nation will soon move on, the injured will battle the consequences of their injuries for the rest of their lives.
My strongest wish is for peace for every one of the individuals impacted by the mass-shooting. Emotional healing comes far slower than physical healing, and is not an easy road. It will be like a roller coaster at times: going up and down, sideways, back up again and down, over and over again. This is all part of the healing process, although it doesn’t seem like it’s very healing while it’s taking place. That healing can only be seen in retrospect. It can take many, many years to reach a state of peace, especially if one’s injuries come from random, senseless circumstances. Some people never reach that place – it’s just too hard.
After a tragedy, people often ask what they can do to help, even if they don’t know the parties involved. I hope people will think about the problems that their own communities face from random gun violence and consider volunteering time or contributing funds to an organization that supports the victims. The support is truly needed, and could be done in the name of any of the Tucson victims to honor what they will be going through.