Brain-Damaged Woman Talks After 20 Years

[Guest guest]

<http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4796435,00.html>

 

Brain-Damaged Woman Talks After 20 Years

 

 

Sunday February 13, 2005 12:16 AM

 

AP Photo KSLS101

 

By ROXANA HEGEMAN

 

Associated Press Writer

 

HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) - For 20 years, Sarah Scantlin has been mostly

oblivious to the world around her - the victim of a drunken driver who

struck her down as she walked to her car. Today, after a remarkable

recovery, she can talk again.

 

Scantlin's father knows she will never fully recover, but her newfound

ability to speak and her returning memories have given him his daughter

back. For years, she could only blink her eyes - one blink for ``no,''

two blinks for ``yes'' - to respond to questions that no one knew for

sure she understood.

 

``I am astonished how primal communication is. It is a key element of

humanity,'' Jim Scantlin said, blinking back tears.

 

Sarah Scantlin was an 18-year-old college freshman on Sept. 22, 1984,

when she was hit by a drunk driver as she walked to her car after

celebrating with friends at a teen club. That week, she had been hired

at an upscale clothing store and won a spot on the drill team at

Hutchinson Community College.

 

Scantlin still suffers constantly from the effects of the accident. She

habitually crosses her arms across her chest, her fists clenched under

her chin. Her legs constantly spasm and thrash. Her right foot is so

twisted it is almost reversed. Her neck muscles are so constricted she

cannot swallow to eat.

 

A week ago, her parents got a call from Jennifer Trammell, a licensed

nurse at the Golden Plains Health Care Center. She asked Betsy Scantlin

if she was sitting down, told her someone wanted to talk to her and

switched to phone over to speaker mode:

 

``Hi, Mom.''

 

``Sarah, is that you?'' her mother asked.

 

``Yes,'' came the throaty reply.

 

``How are you doing?''

 

``Fine.''

 

``Do you need anything,'' her mother asked her later.

 

``More makeup.''

 

``Did she just say more makeup?'' the mother asked the nurse.

 

Scantlin started talking in mid-January but asked staff members not to

tell her parents until Valentine's Day to surprise them, Trammell said.

But last week she could not wait any longer to talk to them.

 

The breakthrough came when the nursing home's activity director, Pat

Rincon, was working with Scantlin and a small group of other patients,

trying to get them to speak.

 

Rincon had her back to Scantlin while she worked with another resident.

She had just gotten that resident to reply ``OK,'' when she suddenly

heard Sarah behind her also repeat the words: ``OK. OK.''

 

Staff members brought in a speech therapist and intensified their work

with Sarah. They did not want to get her parents' hopes up until they

were sure Sarah would not relapse, Trammell said.

 

Scantlin's doctor, Bradley Scheel, said physicians are not sure why she

suddenly began talking but believe critical pathways in the brain may

have regenerated.

 

``It is extremely unusual to see something like this happen,'' Scheel

said.

 

Jim Scantlin understands that Sarah will probably never leave the health

care center, but he is grateful for her improvement.

 

``This place is her home ... They have given me my daughter back,'' he

said.

--