Brain-Damaged Woman Talks After 20 Years

Yahoo News ^ | ROXANA HEGEMAN

[Wally_Kalbacken]

"I'm going to miss the A-Team, quick!"

[Killborn]

No entiendo. :|

[Blood of Tyrants]

God is good!

[JulieRNR21]

After 20 years Sarah Scantlin, a brain damaged woman speaks!

The article notes that therapists were working extensively with this woman. Also that she cannot swallow so requires a feeding tube.

I hope that Terri's parents and their legal team can cite this case to save Terri from the death sentence Michael Schiavo wants to give her.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

I haven't been watching much TV, but Greta should get these people on the show ASAP.

[rawhide]

Julie at 18 year of age.

[Selkie]

Dobson Asserts Terri Schiavo's Right to Life; Sarah Scantlin's Story is Further Proof that Schiavo Should be Protected

Fri Feb 11, 3:50 PM ET

To: National Desk
Contact: Christopher Norfleet of Focus on the Family, 719-548-4570 or culturalissues@family.org


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Feb. 11 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Focus on the Family Founder and Chairman Dr. James C. Dobson today renewed his call for the preservation of the life of Terri Shiavo, citing the miraculous return of Sarah Scantlin's memory and ability to speak, 20 years after being struck by a drunk driver:


"Terri Schiavo deserves the same chance at life that Sarah Scantlin was given. Both cases have involved women who suffered debilitating injuries and continued to live in a disabled state. Today we celebrate the news that Ms. Scantlin has regained her memory and ability to speak, and is apparently on the road to recovery.

snip

http://www.usnewswire.com

[Selkie]

Her family was on an early morning show recently


Sarah's father told The Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith in a separate interview that his daughter had been "basically unresponsive, in the regular sense of the word 'alert.' She was able to do eye contact and was very aware of her surroundings, but otherwise, physically, she was completely incapable of doing anything."

Sarah's mother, Betsy Scantlin, says Sarah actually started to make some noises a couple of years ago. "We didn't have any idea what that meant," she said to Smith. "We just knew it was a noise that she hadn't made for 18 years, and the people -- it's kind of like having a baby. You kind of learn to know the sounds, and they could kind of tell whether she wanted her TV changed or she was hurting or something, but otherwise, nothing."

Jim recounted the phone call he and Betsy got, informing them of the unimaginable: "It was amazing. I'm in the living room. Betsy was in the computer area, and the phone rings, and I'm immediately aware that it's the nursing home…where (Sarah) resides.

"And suddenly, I'm aware that there's a profound, distinct difference. Rather than speaking about Sarah, it became very clear she was speaking to Sarah. It was the most amazing feeling in the world."

Besty says she's "still stunned" to be hearing Sarah's voice again. "There's just no words. Twenty years ago, I cried a lot. This week, all I've done is laugh because, when I heard her say, 'Hi Mom,' I said, 'Sarah, is that you?' And she said, 'Yeah.' And all I can do is just say -- I've just laughed ever since, because it's just so amazing."

What's more, Jim says Sarah is showing "uncanny recall. It's amazing how -- considering how severe and profound her injury was, her ability to recall -- it's astonishing."

snip
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/12/earlyshow/main673707.shtml

[Dallas59]

Scantlin's doctor, Bradley Scheel, said physicians are not sure why she suddenly began talking but believe critical pathways in the brain may have regenerated. "It is extremely unusual to see something like this happen," Scheel said.
The breakthrough came when the nursing home's activity director, Pat Rincon, was working with Scantlin and a small group of other patients, trying to get them to speak. Rincon had her back to Scantlin while she worked with another resident.
She had just gotten that resident to reply "OK," when she suddenly heard Sarah behind her also repeat the words: "OK. OK." Staff members brought in a speech therapist and intensified their work with Sarah. They did not want to get her parents' hopes up until they were sure Sarah would not relapse, Trammell said.
On Saturday, Scantlin seemed at times overwhelmed by the attention. Dressed in a blue warm-up suit, she spoke little, mostly answering questions in a single word.
Is she happy she can talk? "Yeah," she replied. What does she tell her parents when they leave? "I love you," she said. Family members say Scantlin's understanding of the outside world comes mostly from news and soap operas that played on the television in her room.
On Saturday, her brother asked whether she knew what a CD was. Sarah said she did, and she knew it had music on it. But when he asked her how old she was, Sarah guessed she was 22. When her brother gently told her she was 38 years old now, she just stared silently back at him. The nurses say she thinks it is still the 1980s.
Her father, Jim Scantlin, understands that Sarah will probably never leave the health care center, but he is grateful for her improvement. "This place is her home ... They have given me my daughter back," he said.

[jdm]

"On Saturday, her brother asked whether she knew what a CD was. Sarah said she did, and she knew it had music on it. But when he asked her how old she was, Sarah guessed she was 22. When her brother gently told her she was 38 years old now, she just stared silently back at him. The nurses say she thinks it is still the 1980s."

I bought my first CD player (a Fisher) in the Summer of '83, just over a year before Sarah was injured. What a true miracle how her mind has redeveloped (or never *REALLY* lost) its sharpness.

[stacytec]

Study is the key, for sure. I was also thiking that if the use of adult stem cells could be used to speed up the repair of the neurons, maybe recovery times for accidents like this won't take decades.

[pc93]

Unfortunately if a lot of people don't act people are going to get away with murdering her but they won't call it that.

[pc93]

Bump.

[Killborn]

I hope so too.

[Killborn]

This is good news. If more people miraculously recover, the decision to kill her would definitely come into question.

[Killborn]

Amen. I wish there's something I can do, but I'm way over in MA, very far from the action.

[pc93]

FOR LOCAL AND NON-LOCAL (GLOBAL) DISTRIBUTION: Here is the Terri Schindler-Schiavo Life Ribbon Desktop Logo with instructions on how to get it on your screen. Also contains an exhortation to the Florida House Representatives and Senators of the FL Senate as well as contact numbers of officials to call, etc.: http://www.enlightenment-engine.net/eeng/ribbon/terriliferibbondesktoplogo.zip Here is a flyer for Terri that can be printed out and distributed: http://www.enlightenment-engine.net/eeng/ribbon/terriflyer.pdf Here is html code if you have a webpage and would like to participate in the Terri Schindler-Schiavo Life Ribbon Campaign besides the above of having a Ribbon on your own computer: Copy and paste the following text into your HTML web page code where you want the Terri Schindler Life Ribbon banner to appear:

Join the Terri Schindler Life Ribbon Campaign!

If instead you simply want to have the Terri Schindler Life Ribbon appearing on your web page then use this code:

Terri Schindler Life Ribbon Campaign

Terri Schindler-Schiavo Life Ribbon Campaign: Google -> Life Ribbon or: http://bellsouthpwp.net/p/c/pc93/terri_schindler_life_ribbon_campaign.htm Juan V Schoch - Lake Mary, FL Concerned Florida Resident / United States Citizen who believes Terri should be provided protection, removed from out of the hands of those trying to kill her via substituted wishes, and who believes she should be placed back on the road to her recovery via rehabilitation and therapy, etc.

[pc93]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1341971/posts?page=37#37

[Killborn]

Thank you. Now I have some ideas of what to do.

Terri Schindler Life Ribbon Campaign