Seconds Changed My Life Forever

By Jerry McClelland

To become a firefighter is very competitive and a tough career to obtain. It took 5 years to obtain and less than 20 seconds to loose. As a firefighter of 24 years with the Los Angeles County Fire Department I loved my job and was damn good at it.

March 24, 2014 6:30 in the morning is a date I will never forget. I was driving to work going 60 mph, in the south bound lane, on Pacific Coast Hwy, when an unlicensed, uninsured driver, decided to started driving north bound in the south bound lane that I was in causing a head on collision. I was taken to VCMC trauma center via helicopter where I underwent a 13 hour lifesaving surgery. I spent 3 weeks in intensive care recovering from a left femur fracture, compound fracture left knee, compound fracture of the right ankle, 7 broken ribs, lacerated spleen, 13 strokes, and a traumatic brain injury. I don't remember any of the 3 weeks in the ICU but I do remember the next 2 months.

The only thing I remember is when I was transferred to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Rehab Center and woke up lying in bed and looking at my wife through a tent like enclosure entirely covering my hospital bed. Someone from the outside of the bed must unzip one of the tent flaps before the individual can get out. This is known as a Posey bed. It was all so frightening to me because the last thing I remember doing was preparing my food for work in the kitchen of my house in Oxnard the night before the accident. I endured 2 months of daily agonizing inpatient therapy at Cottage Hospital. I received occupation therapy, physical therapy, cognitive therapy recreational therapy and speech therapy.

I had become so angry that my career as a firefighter had come to an end at the hands of another person. I felt that my self-worth was gone and the rock of the family had crumbled up and turned into dust and blown away. I still struggle daily with the effects of the traumatic brain injury and the permanent physical effects of the broken bones. I have had at least 10 additional surgeries for the physical injuries I sustained.

My case manager told me of an organization that specializes with traumatic brain injury patients which has support groups, activities, medical professional speakers and caring individuals that strive hard in building the TBI individual's self-worth and independence back.

I am forever thankful for this outstanding organization. You just never know when you will be calling for their services and thank god there here.

Meet Nancy Porcella

Nancy Porcella has served the brain injury community for over 40 years as a speech pathologist and later as the Director of Brain Injury Specialists. Following completion of her Master's degree she worked at Northridge Hospital on the brain injury team within the hospital and after a few years helped develop TGI Care, a day treatment program designed to continue therapy once clients were discharged from the hospital. Following that, she worked for Head Injury Rehabilitation providing Home and Community based therapy to both English and Spanish speaking clients for 17 years. In 1993 Nancy and her family moved to Ventura County while continuing to work for Head Injury Rehabilitation. Following the closure of Head Injury Rehabiltation Nancy Porcella and Lisa Vincelette founded Brain Injury Specialists to continue to provide needed Home and Community services in Ventura County. Nancy became aware of the services of the Brain Injury Support Group when it was first founded by Dave and Midge Stork frequently attending meetings with her clients at the Stork's home. Following the creation of the Brain Injury Center, Nancy was a member of the board of directors and participated in many fundraising events.

Following 18 years of service during which BIS was able to help a wide variety of clients, Brain Injury Specialists is closing due to Nancy retiring. Brain Injury Specialists over the years developed into a group of highly creative and skilled therapists who together made BIS what it was. Nancy is full of gratitude to all who worked with her and helped co create such an amazing team.