Courtney Brinckman seriously injured (IN)

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.wndu.com/home/headlines/47162787.html

Michigan City High School student overcomes odds, walks in graduation
About a month ago, WNDU told you about a Michigan City High School student who suffered a life-threatening brain injury after a pole vaulting accident.
Posted: 7:12 PM Jun 7, 2009
Reporter: Nick McGurk
Email Address: nick.mcgurk@wndu.com

About a month ago, WNDU told you about a Michigan City High School student who suffered a life-threatening brain injury after a pole vaulting accident.

It's been a scary time for her and for family -- but Sunday, she graduated from high school.

Courtney Brinckman is a 4.0 student with a full tuition scholarship to Indiana University. She also set her school pole vaulting record just before the accident on April 28.

In the days following the accident, her family wasn't sure Courtney would live.

"It's every parent's worst nightmare to know your child has been hurt critically, severely, their life is on the line,” said Dottie Brinckman, Courtney’s mother.

Sunday, Courtney walked across the stage as a high school graduate.

"I'm so surprised, I've only been out of a coma for three weeks now, and it's just amazing how far I've come,” said Courtney on Sunday.

The traumatic brain injury is the reason she still wears a helmet over her head.

When her brain was swelling after the accident on April 28th, doctors had to give it room to expand. They performed a decompressive craniectomy that took off a section of her skull.

Courtney was in a coma, but slowly made progress with the help of doctors and physical therapy.

"Every day she just did something a little more, and she just started coming around more and more," says Courtney's mother Dottie.

Her doctors say she's made terrific progress.

"They're pretty surprised that I'm alive,” said Courtney of her doctors. “But they're really surprised I'm progressing so quickly," she said.

Sunday marked a chance for celebration. After four years of perfect grades and a record-setting career on the track team, she joined her classmates for the graduation ceremony.

"Happiest day of our lives, we're thrilled that she's here, everybody cannot believe how fast she's recovering,” said Phillip Brinckman, her father.

Courtney is still dealing with some issues. She can’t smell or taste anything. And on part of her head, only skin covers her brain. She’ll have surgery to re-attach that part of her skull on June 24th, and afterwards she won't have to wear the helmet.

As for college? Courtney says she plans to attend Indiana University in the fall.

"I'm thinking I've only been awake for three weeks now and I've made this much progress, Im thinking in a couple of months I'll be just fine, back to my normal self," she said.

[rainbowgirl28]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sec ... leID=24373

7/5/2009 11:00:00 AM
RECOVERY AND RELIEF
Michigan City's Courtney Brinckman

Nick Dettmann
Staff Writer

Courtney Brinckman and her family are finally moving toward a life of normalcy.

Brinckman had surgery to replace the missing piece of her skull June 24.

The procedure was done at the University of Illinois-Chicago Medical Center and lasted a few hours.

"Everything went fine," Dottie Brinckman, Courtney's mother, said Thursday.

Courtney Brinckman, a former star athlete at Michigan City High School, was severely injured in a pole-vaulting accident April 28 where she slipped off her pole during a practice run and landed on her head. It was a life-threatening injury. Her brain swelled, creating pressure on her skull more than twice what would be considered high.

She underwent a decompressive craniectomy, which is a procedure to remove part of one's skull allowing the brain to swell without obstruction and eventually return to normal.

The skull piece was reattached in two parts with metal plates and screws.

More than two months after the injury, the Brinckmans are getting their lives back to normal.

"We were just worried how things were going to go, and we were wondering what kind of recovery she would have," Dottie said.

The first step happened June 7 when Courtney walked across the stage at graduation. Just being alive for graduation was a concern for the Brinckmans five weeks earlier. To go through that event was such a relief.

"I was really happy about that," Brinckman said. "I didn't know if I was going to be able to do it. I was really glad, and a little relieved that I was doing well enough to attend. I would've been bummed if I couldn't go.

"Four years I worked, I needed to reap a little bit of my rewards."

Ten days later, the Brinckmans went to Bloomington so Courtney could take her placement tests for classes at Indiana next fall. Brinckman plans to study pre-med.

The 4.0 student signed up for 15 credit hours next semester.

"I thought I did well on the math and bad on the spanish," Brinckman said. "I actually did well on both."

She placed into calculus and third-semester spanish. She only needs three semesters of spanish to fulfill that aspect of her major.

The quickness of her recovery has been nothing short of remarkable.

"It's nice knowing it's smooth sailing from this point," Brinckman said. "It's really easy to get back into things."

Brinckman said its seemed quick because everyday brought on a new challenge, thus giving her something to look forward to. The only part which seemed to drag on was the days leading up to the surgery to replace her skull.

She will be honored during today's Summer Festival parade as the parade marshal. Mike Pease is the grand marshal.

"The strength and mental fortitude demonstrated by Courtney Brinckman in overcoming her serious injury has been an example and inspiration to all of us in Michigan City," Mayor Chuck Oberlie said in a statement, announcing Brinckman's honor. "Many who have never met Courtney have kept her in their thoughts and prayers, and, as a community, we feel very much part of her extended family."

Brinckman no longer has to wear the helmet which protected her head when the 5-by-8-inch piece of her skull was removed and inserted into her belly for safekeeping. She is limited in her activities. She can't drive or lift heavy things, but her thinking process, reasoning and judgment are all intact.

She will have her final therapy session Monday.

However, she is still without the sensation of taste and smell. It is unlikely she will have those again.

"It's kind of weird, but I'm getting used to it," Brinckman said. "Everything tastes the same. I just eat when my stomach is growling. I don't have cravings anymore."

She added her attention span and ability to concentrate for long periods of time is not where it used to be.

She just wants to get back to normal physically as well, running and riding her bike. She wants to enjoy the rest of her summer before making the big leap to college, like a normal teenager.

[rk1405]

I didn't read all of the posts. I saw there was dicussion about helmets. I never wore a helmet and I never required my athletes to. I'm nuetral on my position on helmets. I usually would not allow my vaulters to practice after the meet was over simply because adrenaline levels aren't as high. If the athletes insisted on it I'd allow them to do some low hand hold short approach work. After a couple of approaches they'd agree with me and stop. I also didn't want too much failure at the end of the meets any way. Every vaulter usually ends on three failures as it is.