Maryland man’s recovery inspires those with traumatic brain injuries
By Jennifer Franciotti
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COLUMBIA, Maryland (WBAL) — A Maryland man is sharing his recovery story in hopes of helping others during Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month.
Anthony Johnson, of Columbia, is moving forward following his traumatic brain injury (TBI) diagnosis. He has certainly come far since November 2020, when the car he was riding in was hit by a truck while on his way to work.
“The left side of my skull that was damaged in the accident got replaced by a prosthetic skull that was created through a 3-D printer. That was measured to be symmetrical to the right-side skull,” Johnson said.
Johnson was on the passenger side and suffered multiple facial, rib and skull fractures that required two brain surgeries.
“The scar down the middle, this is the incision. So, it’s not a fashion statement,” Johnson said. “I had to learn how to talk. I had to learn how to walk. I had to be fed. It was the most vulnerable experience because even at times I had to be changed.”
While his recovery has been remarkable, today, he still deals with the effects of the traumatic brain injury.
“Because the damage is on the left side of my brain, it affected my motor skills on my right side. So, now, I had to learn how to use my left hand, write with my left hand, drink and eat with my left hand,” Johnson said. “I have a little bit of anxiety, driving on the highway and driving a long distance. I don’t like the way I talk still.”
“There are over 600,000 Marylanders that have sustained a brain injury, and to put that into perspective, that’s almost eight and a half times what goes into the Ravens stadium,” said Caitlin Starr, the executive director of the Brain Injury Association of Maryland, a nonprofit organization that connects patients with resources, including finding specialists to workplace advocacy and education.
Starr explained how serious brain injuries can be.
“Even if you do all the right things, like wearing a helmet or wearing your seat belt, you could still potentially get a brain injury, and so, if you do sustain a brain injury or a concussion — even if you think it’s mild — always make sure you go to get it checked out because those symptoms could potentially get worse,” Starr said.
March is TBI Awareness Month, and it’s why Johnson is sharing his story. He wants others to know that he is proof that life can get better.
“It’s a long process, for some, even a lifetime,” Johnson said. “We haven’t lost anything, alright? In fact, we’ve been reborn. We actually got a special power now because that special power is self-awareness and vulnerability.”
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