Danielle Robillard
On November 2, 2004, I turned left into the school parking lot. It was the last day of classes before first-year exams at Widener Law School in Wilmington, Delaware (now named Widener University Delaware Law School). Oncoming traffic (four lanes plus a right turn lane) was stopped, but a driver going 69 mph pulled into the right turn lane and, while going straight, ran the light and t-boned me. I was life-flighted off the roadway, and I do not remember anything until February. I was in the ICU for a month, then transferred to Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital, where I lived for three months until the funds ran out. It was February before I recognized my son, who had turned 18 the week before the accident.
Moving forward, I had to return to law school in August 2005, or I would have to reapply. Most days, I often forgot to eat (my sense of smell had diminished to almost none due to the TBI), but I was expected to remember case law. Needless to say, I failed out.
In 2008, I moved from the East Coast to Oregon, where my mother lives. I lived with her for five years, when I began working as a corporate travel agent. Although I had been a travel agent before law school, 9/11 changed my path, leading me to law school. I worked for the same company from 2008 to 2020, advancing to become the lead agent on the account. My toes have uncurled, but even after two years of physical therapy, I still walk with a limp in my left leg. I stopped worrying about the limp and often joke with people who ask me what’s wrong with my leg. “Nothing, a traumatic brain injury” gets a lot of puzzled looks, highlighting gaps in high school science education.
I worked for the same organization from 2007 to 2020, when COVID-19 affected the travel industry. I taught them a bit about the ADA. One day, the first alarm went off, and I stood in the stairwell the entire time. No one had informed the fire department that there were disabled people in the building. However, I wonder why the fire department assumed a ten-story business complex might have disabled people they hadn’t been made aware of. Since it was a cement building, I was not too worried; after 20 minutes, I returned to my desk. The human resources department (which was in Oklahoma) reprimanded management about how many laws had been broken, allowing me to request the ability to become a virtual agent.
I met and married a wonderful man, and in January 2020, we closed on our first home. However, in April 2020, I was furloughed from my job. Our call volume plummeted from 3,000 daily calls to fewer than 10. Thankfully, I had purchased my home using a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan. As a result, I was off work for quite some time. There were no jobs in the travel industry, so I began an online master’s program with the University of Arizona. I found a better travel job in 2022, where I remain today.
A couple of weeks ago, I celebrated my 20th “rebirthday.” I earned my master’s degree in legal studies in May and became a doctoral candidate in July. I have a great job as a business travel agent for a company that works exclusively with universities. I handle all faculty and staff travel for one university. I have the same doctor, who fortunately remained after he graduated. His staff knows I was his first patient, and I appreciate all we have learned about TBI.
1. If I had to summarize my traumatic brain injury in one word, what would it be? On-going.
2. How has my life trajectory changed since I became a traumatic brain injury survivor? See above.
3. What are some common myths or misconceptions I’ve encountered about myself or people with brain injuries? I would need far more than a thousand words to cover them! That’s partly why they are included in my dissertation topic.
4. Knowing what I know about brain injuries and recovery, are there things you might have done differently? What advice would I give to someone who recently had a brain injury or is about to leave acute care? The first and most important thing to know is that recovery won’t happen overnight. Find a good primary care doctor who understands TBI or is willing to learn. Preferably, choose a doctor affiliated with a teaching hospital. For families, locate a brain injury support group that offers the necessary resources and connections.