Just a Breath Away

Doctors concluded that Kathleen had less than a five percent chance of surviving, though there was a distinct possibility she could end up in a vegetative state. Kathleen was just a breath away from the other side. Waking up weeks later, Kathleen learned that she was nearly blind and became forlorn in a new realm of pain and fear. As her desolate existence slowly devoured her senses, she yearned for a comprehensible voice to cling on to. This was only the beginning of Kathleen's quest. A vast and gloomy labyrinth stretched before her. The lone captive of a new, intrusive, and disorienting state of consciousness, Kathleen braved each surreal step forward, one at a time. Each day since, Kathleen has been victorious, earning every word in her new title: "Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Survivor."