Kiersten Hester

Hi, my name is Kiersten Hester. I’m 19 years old and I am an Automotive Service Tech student at Tennessee Rehabilitation Center. My favorite things include the color purple, music especially country, rock or some metal, I love western things, anything that provides sensory input and I also love horses, trucks and riding backwards and other similar things.

I have multiple different conditions and disabilities such as Pierre Robin Syndrome, autism, Complex PTSD, asthma, and recently diagnosed Binocular Vision Dysfunction as well as other conditions and due to differences associated with Pierre Robin Syndrome and asthma I have had a complex medical history, yet despite that and my disabilities I have always done what I could to keep myself determined and keep my trust in the Lord and I do not let my shortcomings or struggles stop me from enjoying life to the fullest.

Here is my story of my brain injury:

When I was 15 years old, in March , I fell from a swing and I landed hard on my chin first thing before the rest of me hit the ground, I hit hard enough that I lost all of my hearing and 98% vision & I could not breathe for 60 to 90 seconds, the only visible damage was a cut on my chin & my gums were torn quite a bit and there was a lot of bleeding, they treated that part when I was at at the ER & on my way to the ER I also hyperventilated we’re still quite dizzy & had a high adrenaline rush when I got there, but they did not check for a brain injury or do any form of neurological evaluation, and all doctors I’ve seen since have not picked up on it or blamed some aspects I’ve dealt with since on being either a deficiency of some vitamin or it just not being my dominant hand (etc).

After the fall, my body was different. My left hand lost a bit of function, such as gripping, controlling & releasing as well as holding weight. My left foot drops when I walk, and I have weakness on my left side as well as low muscle tone & variable spasticity (which is triggered by things like startle, emotion, temperature, vibration, music bass, effort, doing some tasks, exercise, etc) that can cause my left hands function to fluctuate from 0 to 30 percent as well as cause my left foot to plantar-flex further down more than it does at baseline or relaxed.

And overall I have had less sensation to pain, textures or temperature. My left side also has dealt with numbness or pins & needles sensation either out of the blue or while sitting or laying in certain positions, there are even times where I am unable to voluntarily open, close or use my hand in hardly if at all in any way which again match matches why I say my left hand function is dynamic rather than static. Due to the changes or the ultimate change in function since the fall I have had to adapt to doing most tasks one-handed anywhere from a oil change to simply some chores around the house or daily living task like even driving. I didn’t know or understand why all of this started until I recently started making the connection & doing some research as I’d like to know what could’ve potentially happened when I landed because no one else was there so I’m the only one that could remember any of it especially knowing that these symptoms highly match some cases of things like cerebral palsy, part of why I’ve been doing research so I don’t feel so alone with my symptoms and don’t feel like I’m just “imagining it” and stuff like that and have validation for my experience.

Myths vs Facts I’ve Learned:

Myth 1: “You’re just making excuses or being lazy.”
Fact: My symptoms have medical triggers like startle, temperature, and vibration. That’s neurological, not a choice, neither is me adapting to doing most tasks one handed to accommodate low hand function or altering my gait to accommodate foot drop

Myth 2: “If you were really hurt, you wouldn’t remember the fall.”
Fact: I remember losing air and senses. Clear memory doesn’t mean no injury. Anoxia can happen while you’re conscious.

Myth 3: “Your fall wasn’t severe enough for you to still have problems.”
Fact: 60 to 90 seconds without air changes the brain. Severity isn’t just blood or broken bones. Function or sensory related changes is the proof.