Real Answers is a place for you to ask questions to people who have suffered similar injuries to you.
My name is Shawna Korgan and on March 5th, 2010 the love of my life, my husband, Grant Korgan, sustained a life-altering spinal cord injury. From the very beginning we have focused our full attention, heart, body and soul on his healing knowing, without a doubt, that through positivity, love, determination and a lot of hard work he would recover to 120%. With the use of my background in exercise physiology and fitness, I began and continue to research all potential modalities and methods to aid in Grant's healing. With this knowledge and experience we move forward with the goal and desire not only for Grant's recovery but to also pass on the knowledge we have gained to empower others in their own healing.
Steven and I share the same laugh and the same twisted sense of humor, which has helped us to grow very close over the years, so his injury had quite the impact on my own life. When my mom first called and told me what happened, I remember having an overwhelming feeling of helplessness. When something catastrophic happens to someone you love so many questions come to mind, but the biggest question for me was, "How will this change Steve's future?" As weird as this may sound, I believe his injury has ultimately made him stronger and more positive. I didn't think I could ever say I look up to Steve more than I already did, but he's definitely become my biggest inspiration…just don't tell him!
My relationship with Danny began last winter when mutual friends introduced us, and our love for skiing and snowboarding created an instant bond. On January 3rd 2011, while filming in the Montana backcountry Danny hit a tree and suffered a traumatic brain injury. I had heard the term traumatic brain injury many times, but I didn’t know what we were about to go through. From the moment Danny opened his eyes, time went from being incredibly slow, to a constant gain of momentum until the day we left the hospital. Danny continues to work extremely hard toward his recovery and his goal of getting back to snowboarding at a professional level.
My name is Conor Toumarkine and my brother Danny suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury back on January 3rd, 2011. I was snowboarding with my brother when he was initially injured and I stayed by his side through 4 brain surgeries and 33 days at the hospital. January was the toughest month of my life but I the support that I got from my family and friends helped me through it. I know what it's like to experience the ups and downs of a TBI and am more than happy to speak with you about what it was like for me. I am a friendly easygoing person who enjoys snowboarding, hiking, photography, videography, music, art and life.
My brother Seth Lightcap is an accomplished photo journalist from North Lake Tahoe. His articles and photos can be found in snowboarding magazines throughout the world, as well as many Nor-Cal newspapers and websites. In March 2011, Seth was injured in an avalanche accident while backcountry snowboarding in Japan. He survived the ordeal but was left with a broken pelvis, internal organ damage, a dislocated shoulder and ligament tears in his knee. With the help of a Winter Athlete Endowment from High Fives, Seth is on track to make a full recovery and return to the mountains stronger than ever before.
Disclaimer: Real Answers provides real answers from real athletes to real questions from real people. The athletes will answer your questions based on their own personal learning experiences in recovering from life-altering injuries. None of our athletes is a licensed professional. They cannot give you professional advice. If you need medical advice, consult your doctor. If you need legal advice, consult a lawyer. If you need architectural advice, consult an architect.
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