Volunteer draws on traumatic experience to inspire patients with brain injuries

Denise Pelletier suffered a traumatic brain injury over a decade ago and uses her experience to help others.

A Calgary woman who not only survived but recovered from traumatic brain injury is now inspiring others going through what she experienced.

Denise Pelletier sustained a brain injury fourteen years ago when she landed on her head after the ATV she was a passenger on flipped over backwards.

Pelletier was not wearing a helmet and was brought to Foothills Medical Centre by STARS following the crash.

She credits Dr. Chip Doig with saving her life and he says things did not look good for her when he first saw her.

“Of the severe traumatic brain injuries, Denise was in one of the most severe categories that we see and her course was very typical for some patients with severe traumatic brain injury in that she deteriorated despite our management,” said Dr. Doig.

She spent weeks in intensive care and once her memory started to return she wanted to know how she had survived.

“I was in acute care and I kind of tried to drill him as to what was the pill, the injection, what was it, and he just looked at me , he went through a long explanation of everything that had happened and then he looked at me and he said Denise, it just simply wasn't your time,” she said.

Four months after her injury, she was back at work at a major oil company and today volunteers in unit 58 at the Foothills, where brain injured and stroke patients work on recovery.

Lori Beaver is a stroke survivor and Patient Experience Strategist on the unit. Beaver says Pelletier is a big inspiration to brain injury patients and their families.

“We've had a lot of  comments from patients and families that they're just so thankful to talk to someone who's been down that road., to share their experience and give them some hope,” said Beaver.

Pelletier also volunteers with the Association for the Rehabilitation of the Brain Injured or ARBI.

“I was really honored when ARBI approached me two months ago and asked me to be their United Way spokesperson,” said Pelletier.

For the way she uses her experience to encourage others with brain injury, Denise Pelletier is our inspiring Albertan this week.

(With files from Darrel Janz)