Herrod’sMatt

Life Changing Story Stay Strong

Background Information• Honor student• Actively involved in church• Involved in the broadcasting and

journalism program on campus• Lived for sports• Great athlete– played 12 years of soccer including

4 years of high school

• Typical Friday• Marked 15 days before my 21st birthday• April Fools joke• Had class and then had NewsCentral34 • Talked to mom on the phone• Plans that night with girls down the hall• Phone call with sister• Burtch and I talked on Skype– “Be safe tonight,” said Jake.

April 1, 2011

Events that Night• Went to Casa Loma to hang out with

a friend• Friend wanted to go to a party at

Bluegrass• Arrived at party around 11:30pm• HUGE party with keg (75-100 people

there)• Never met the host(s) before • Cops came to break up at 12:30am

How it unfolded• Too many people there• Cops came because of noise• 2 ways out of apartment• About 5 or 6 other kids jumped

to avoid cops; I joined them

Being worked on• I’m VERY lucky to be alive• Found unconscious• Received care within the critical first

hour • Fractured skull• Mark on back calf• Swollen eye and bloody nose • No broken bones or spinal damage• Dave– Breaking point

• Not a single scratch on phone

Transported to Central Michigan Community Hospital

• Admitted at 1:20am• Dr. John Carey stabilized me• Not much they could do• Needed more care then they could handle

Phone call• Parents got a call on April 2nd

around 2am• Mom didn’t think much until she

was getting my dad’s reactions, – thought I was arrested

• Dad got in his truck to drive up to Saginaw

Phone Call• Mom had a gut feeling

something was wrong–Officer gave her more details–Had to tell my dad to turn around–Woke up sister and gathered their

things• Extremely quiet car ride

St. Mary’s of

Michigan Medical Center• Airlifted to St. Mary’s trauma

center at 2:20am– One of the best trauma

hospitals in Michigan• $14,000 was the cost of the

ride that took 20 minutes– Most expensive t-shirt I own– $1 a foot from the helipad to

the front door• That was a 500 feet

Upon arrival• Received CAT scan• Neck collar on• Breathing tube

inserted• Parents warned NOT

to talk and touch– Shades had to be

down• Would cause

stimulation for my brain

Critical condition• No one knew if I was going to survive– Hour by hour then day by day– One nurse didn’t think I would– A close friend had to say goodbye

• In a coma for three weeks– Naturally for one week– Drug induced for two

• 13 IVs• Everyone was unsure if I would ever be

the same person

Critical condition• CAT scan showed damage to the left side of the

brain– “rebound” effect

• After my initial CAT scan, the other CAT scans and tests were perfect– Legs were moving on 2nd day

• Required surgery for shunt to drain blood • While still in my coma, nurse said she had

never seen someone improve that quickly in 23 years

• Mom stayed by my side the whole time • Dad and sister came up every weekend

• Facebook group• Close to 800 members• People from high school, college, work, friends of

parents, people I had never met joined the group• Everyone in Livonia school district knew and

everyone at church rallied around my family• A friend kept everyone updated on condition daily• Numerous comments of support• Prayer service, t-shirts made, cards signed and

fundraisers once home• I kept people updated of my progress• Still keep people informed of journey

“Prayers for Matt Herrod”

• On April 16th, I turned 21• “It’s the one birthday I will never

remember, but one I’ll never forget.”

• Mom wanted to skip it, then realized we could have been at my funeral instead

• Large support system– Birthday cake for friends and the staff

Easter Sunday• Woke up as the drugs started to

wear off• Looked like an octopus • “Jesus woke from the dead on

Easter Sunday and that’s when I woke up too.”

Started therapy at St. Mary’s

• Had to relearn how to do EVERYTHING, • Started OT (occupational therapy) and

PT (physical therapy)• No speech cause of trach and that part

of the brain was not healed yet• OT was basic thumbs UP, DOWN – The use of my middle finger

• PT involved sitting up and sitting in a chair

Spiritual Event• Saw my grandpa• Died in 2005• Can’t remember what was said

Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (Detroit)

• Transported on May 10th, 1 of top 5 rehab facilities in the country

• Upon arrival couldn’t talk, walk or eat whole foods

• Placed on 4th floor with other TBI, stroke and seizure patients

• Evaluated on first day

“Dream”• One day thought this was a

dream• Went back to sleep• Woke up, still the same condition• Soon realized this was real

Communication tool

-Used this for 4 weeks-Most frustrating thing I have ever had to do-Had to point to EVERY single letter

Daily routine• Woke up at 5:30am, 5 days a week• Therapy from 9am-1pm• Took a nap– Brain was tired from working so hard

• My freedom: Gone!– Very bored– Lay in bed or watch TV–Would call my parents to visit earlier

then expected– Consistent visitors

Rehab• Lost a TON of strength– Couldn’t do a push up– 2 mph on a treadmill

• Watch the NBA or Stanley Cup Playoffs every night– This didn’t make sense to me, I

remember Wings were in the regular season, now I was watching them in the second round

–Helped me get through the day

Personality change• Common for TBI victim to have a

total shift–Not the case–Morning person

• Still obsessed with sports–Nick Fairly

• Jay is a “piece of shit”

Depressed• Times I was down– “Oh good job Matt.”–Wanted to escape

• Was at level 1 and needed to be a 5 to go home–Next day therapists make a

comment to my mom

Swallow Test• May 17th

– Couldn’t come any earlier• Closest thing to whole foods was ice

cubes• Gave me various kinds of food to see

how I would handle them– Passed

• Feeding tube was annoying–Wasn’t filling– Got double portions of food

Swallow Test• Seeing other people eat whole foods

made me want them• First meal; chicken fingers with fries,

cake, ice cream and a Pepsi• Drawer full of food• Received double portions –Was a kid in the candy store– “Usual meal”

May 23, 2011• Unforgettable Day• This was the day I started TALKING• Asked to sing “Happy birthday”

June 9, 2011

• Discharge Day• Weighed 113 lbs• Left the hospital with NO

wheelchair, cane, walker or medication

• Not a single headache ONCE or seizure

• Walked around the house to see if everything was the same

Home journey• Watched like a baby– Call my mom to get out of bed, had a

bench in the shower, had to use hand rails

• Took the weekend off from therapy • Started back on Monday• 6 days a week– Summer job; therapy

Home journey• 3-6 hours on therapy –OT and PT 2-3 times a week– Speech once a week for an hour– Gym twice a week• 20 lbs dumbbells

• Very determined• Wasn’t going to get better just

sitting around

Home journey• Limp– Big deal running on cement

• No contact sports or Alcohol for a full year

• License back on Nov. 28th

• Summer of 2011 was about 10-15% • Today I’d say 90%

Home journey• Learned how much a support

group helps– Friends came over • Friends visited from school

– People from my church and the pool asked all the time how I was doing

• Realized how many people heard about me

One-year anniversary• “A year ago today a kid from Livonia jumped

off the balcony below my apartment and was in a coma. I stood on my balcony while he laid motionless and the paramedics worked on him. He was air lifted to Saginaw. He suffered a bad brain injury and when he was out of a coma had to learn how to do simple things like talk and walk again. Through hard work, and determination he is back here at CMU going to school. He continues to improve every day. Shout out to Matt Herrod, I am glad you’re alive and a friend of mine. #staystong,” Dave Brimhall.

What still isn’t fully recovered

• My speech–Will never know if I will fully recover– Changed my career goal– Speech therapy at school twice a

week• My right hand–Hand writing is messy and slow• Can’t write my own notes• Type them

What still isn’t fully recovered

• My right leg–Don’t have my agility or

quickness back yet–Few seconds behind my left leg

• Balance–Weakness on my right side–Exercises at the gym make it

better

What still isn’t fully recovered

• When I get down, I tell myself it could be worse

• I’m doing A LOT better than other TBI survivors

• Everyone thinks because I’m back at school I’m close to being healthy– But I’m not

Final thoughts• We look like nothing has happened to us• Having a TBI you think you are invincible– I think it’s because of how much we have

survived• It’s who I am• You never know our emotional level– People can easily hide their feelings– We get very frustrated – Mine for the most part has been high spirited

Final Thoughts• Make jokes about it– “I’m fine, I’ve been through worse.”

• My attitude• You can’t tell me it’s not possible• I have certain moments• My faith• Use this story as inspiration