TBI from Gabby Giffords' Perspective

Ted Talk: Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly: Be passionate. Be courageous. Be your best.

            I watched a Ted Talk on TBI about Gabby Gifford, a congresswoman, and her husband, Mark Kelly, point of view. Gabby was shot in the head and is still recovering from her injury. This was a good way to learn first hand about what it is like to experience a traumatic brain injury. This Ted Talk helped me understand better what is like to live with a traumatic brain injury.

Gabby says that the worst part of her injury is not being able to communicate her thoughts and feelings, due to her aphasia. When she first began her recovery, she was attached to the word “chicken”, which her and her husband now laugh about. She is unable to move her right arm, yet she’s more concerned about her lack of communication. I found this to be very interesting, because both of those things are so difficult to deal with, yet she’s more concerned with communication than functionality. It is also interesting to watch a former congresswoman, who was once very well spoke, unable to properly convey herself. When she answered questions, she answered in segments, repeated her husband, and overall spoke like a child would. She is still recovering, but she still says she wants to make the world a better place. She is still participating in congress and making steps to improve gun violence. Even though she cannot properly convey herself, use her right arm, or even walk easily; she is still a productive member of society. She is still living her life to the fullest, and even tells the audience to be courageous.

Mark was in line to be an astronaut, which is a very hard career to achieve. When Gabby first had her injury, he gave up his spot to be in a space shuttle. At the time, he gave up his dreams and became her primary caregiver. From a caregiver’s point of view, he was very positive and caring for his wife. He translates his wife; basically taking single words she says and turned them into sentences for her.

I choose this Ted Talk because the best way to learn about anything is through someone else’s point of view. It is easy to understand that aphasia is associated with many neurological conditions, but you do not fully understand how it effects a person until you see them try to convey their thoughts. I have heard a podcast about a personal experience’s on TBI’s in which the husband has said he resents having to deal with his wife’s condition. Being able to see Mark be so positive able his wife is an encouraging thing to see. This Ted Talk is very opposite to the podcast I previously listened to about TBI, so it helped remind me that everyone handles his or her disability differently. Some people hate their life and others, like Gabby, continue to excel and do great things. From their point of view, it is easy to see that a TBI is life changing, but you can still live a great life. As an OT, I hope to be able to help someone relearn how to live that great life.

When looking for other information on Gabby, I found her Facebook page. In the 2014 Ted Talk, she was still very impaired. Today, she only is concerned with the things she is fighting for, like gun laws. She is a productive member of society and through her Facebook page, you would not even know she was injured.

https://www.facebook.com/GGiffords/


Resource
Giffords, G. & Kelly, M. (March, 2014). Retrieved from:

https://www.ted.com/talks/gabby_giffords_and_mark_kelly_be_passionate_be_courageous_be_your_best

Comments

  1. UnknownApril 24, 2017 at 11:31 AM

    She is an amazing woman! Thanks for sharing this. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dr. LancasterApril 24, 2017 at 11:48 AM

    I love this: "The best way to learn about anything is through someone else’s point of view." I haven't seen this TED talk but will make sure to view it soon!

    ReplyDelete

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