A brain-injured patient and his family find hope and support at Loma Linda   Jeremy and Linda Detinne have received professional care and support for 15 years from Loma Linda's brain trauma pioneer, Stephen Ashwall, MD.   Just days before his sixth birthday, Jeremy Detinne was hit by a van and left paralyzed from the neck down. His reaction to the accident proved how courageous Jeremy is. Within the next year, he learned to drive a mouth-propelled wheelchair, play an incredible game of PacMan (with the help of a device that turned his tongue into a joystick), and even type with his mouth. Less than a year later, an even harsher obstacle was thrown in Jeremy's way. Due to an undetected plug in his tracheostomy tube, Jeremy didn't receive enough oxygen to his brain. He was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center's pediatric intensive care unit, where it was determined he had suffered brain injury. Jeremy fell into a coma that lasted more than four weeks. When he finally awoke, he was diagnosed with severe brain damage. With this discouraging news, Linda Detinne, Jeremy's mom, began her 15-year working relationship with Stephen Ashwal, MD, professor of pediatrics at Loma Linda. Dr. Ashwal specializes in dealing with children who suffer from traumatic and non-traumatic brain injury. In Dr. Ashwal, Linda found a professional who understood what she and her son were struggling through. "I want to give credit to Dr. Ashwal for helping my son," says Linda. "He has always been very supportive of me and has never questioned my decisions. He calls me 'Dr. Mom.' It's nice to have someone like Dr. Ashwal in your corner." In spite of life's setbacks, Jeremy and Linda will not give up. Jeremy's sense of hearing is far more developed than most people's, and he loves to spend time listening to a wide spectrum of music on his stereo system. Jeremy communicates how he is feeling through his facial expressions. He enjoys watching videos, being read to, having his head massaged, and looking up at the replica of the night sky his mom has creatively painted on his bedroom ceiling. Occasionally, Jeremy and Linda will even treat themselves to a night at the movies. Although people, like Jeremy, with severe brain injuries may not hold onto a bright dream of full recovery—there is hope for progress. Linda knows that in some cases a healthy portion of the brain will take on some of the functions of the injured portion. Also, there may be hope in the use of rehabilitative medicine. As Dr. Ashwal points out, "Rehabilitative medicine for kids and adults is extremely important. We have no definite way, with 100 percent certainty, to know how a specific child with brain injury will do. It is good to give him or her the best possible chance to improve and enjoy their quality of life for themselves as well as for their families." Continuing neurologic research and developments in rehabilitative medicine hold promise of improvement for Jeremy and the hundreds of other people with brain injuries who come to Loma Linda University Medical Center for help each year. University | Medical_Center | LLU&MC_home | Search_&_index | News_&_events | Employment | Contact | Our_mission All contents copyright © 2001 Loma Linda University. All rights reserved. Revised Monday, January 28, 2002 2:38 PM Send comments and questions to webmaster@univ.llu.edu URL: http: //www.llu.edu