Trauma Survivors
Trauma Survivors Network
The Trauma Survivors Network, a program of the American Trauma Society, is a free community resource that connects trauma patients and families with injury experts and other survivors to help advance the rehabilitation and recovery process.
Inspiration from traumatic injury survivors:
New Love for Life Follows McGinnes’ Attempt at Death
In 2010, Christen McGinnes lost her relentless optimism. A punishing wave of setbacks had beaten her down to the point where ending her own life seemed to be the only avenue for relief. A fall down a staircase left her with a traumatic brain injury that altered her...
Sue Baldissari Works for a Better Normal
Following the car crash that left Susan Baldissari permanently injured, she endured 15 surgeries over seven years as well as extensive physical therapy, both in a rehabilitation hospital and as an outpatient. Twenty years later, Sue knows she needs another ankle...
Scars of the Past Drive Toby Harris Toward the Future
Toby Harris isn’t sure whether her memories are her own or belong to the people who saw her through the darkest days of her life. Struck by a car while crossing a street late one summer night, Toby was hurtled 40 feet through the air. After an...
Despite Tragedy, Quin Lewis Lives Life to the Fullest
“I could get hit by a bus tomorrow,” is a phrase people commonly use to defend an indulgence or a short-sighted goal. Agonizing over whether to dip into your savings for a trip to Aruba? “I could get hit by a bus tomorrow; I’m going to enjoy my...
Surgeons Put Jon Esquivel Back Together Again
Jonathan Esquivel is a case study in pelvic reconstruction. When surgeons who have seen the x-rays of his injuries learn that the man is walking, even running, they are dumbfounded. “They assume I’m in a wheelchair, if not dead,” chuckles Jon, a...
Therese Frentz: Learning to Live Half-Way Healed
Hard-charging Therese Frentz never did anything half-way—until a suicide bomber in Baghdad’s Green Zone left her half dead.
Nicholas Velasquez: Drunk Driving Victim Finds a Hero
The victim of a horrific drunk driving crash, Nicholas Velasquez plays soccer today only because of highly trained paramedics, trauma surgeons and rehabilitation specialists.
Derek McGinnis: Wounded Warrior Helps Others Relieve Pain
After surviving a blast during the 2004 Fallujah Offensive and struggling through recovery, Navy Corpsman Derek McGinnis wrote a book about pain management for veterans and their families.
Roberto Espinosa: Three-story Fall Changes a Life
Roberto Espinosa had a lot of luck and one of the best trauma teams in Texas on his side when, on October 7, 2002, the bottom literally dropped out of his life.