Help Amanda's Brain Heal #TBISurvivor

Many of you are wondering what has happened to me over the past few years . . .

On the first day of spring in 2021, while walking along the Oak Leaf trail in Estabrook Park in Shorewood, my child and I were violently assaulted by a man. The assailant used a weapon to strike me on the back of my skull, rendering me briefly unconscious. Thankfully I regained consciousness quickly enough to keep Axel physically safe. I later learned that I acquired a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) from the blunt force trauma of the assault.

My neurological disabilities from the assault have changed my life. My TBI affects my vision, cognitive stamina, speech, vestibular system (dizziness), sleep, memory, and ability to understand and process speech, music, and ambient sounds. Basically, my brain is not processing sensory information correctly. Because of the visual and auditory neurological damage, my brain has to work extremely hard to process vision and sound. All the extra effort causes me to become extremely tired and to have axillary speech and cognition issues. My brain becomes easily overstimulated, making it difficult, if not impossible to be in public spaces - my invisible injuries are isolating, and create many challenges in my daily life.

Before the assault I was a university professor and internationally recognized professional musician. I spent decades building a successful career in music, performance, and education. For months after the assault, I was unable to read even a simple children's book to my son. I lost my speech, my words, my short term memory, and the ability to process multiple sounds and language. These are problems I still struggle with.

After extensive therapy with a team of doctors, I now have diagnoses to help me understand these immense challenges, like: TBI, Auditory Processing Disorder, Post Traumatic Vision Syndrome, and PTSD. I also experience painful chronic headaches and muscle spasms, and have chronic fatigue from an acquired neurological disorder, cervical dystonia. I am currently still not able to drive a car, or work. I was told by my doctors that I might never be able to return to my career.

True to my tenaciousness, I am doing my best to heal and prove that statement wrong. Last year I even taught for two hours a week, which felt like a small victory, but was also radically challenging with my disabilities. Working two hours a week left me unable to keep up with therapy, as managing both at the same time, is not possible. In reality, I need to continue with multi neurological therapies in order to grow new neural pathways and to heal my brain. This is where I need your help.

It is difficult for me to ask for help. Those of you who know me well, know how much this is true. Over these past few years I have been strong and brave, but now it is time for me to be vulnerable: My family needs your help. Please share my medical campaign widely and donate generously, if you are able.

The violent assault, my traumatic brain injury, and my neurological disabilities have been extremely difficult on my family, especially Axel, who bears witness to my long recovery. As you can imagine, I have gone into significant medical debt from this injury, and I continue to need multiple therapies and outpatient hospital procedures as I recover. Any money donated to my campaign will go towards my future medical expenses, and help pay down the medical debt I have acquired from my TBI.

Thank you for any support you can give.

Much love,

Amanda Schoofs

I know some of you will ask, so I will share that I worked with the police and State Justice Department. The man who assaulted us was arrested, and eventually plead guilty to multiple felony charges.

I also want to share that I have exhausted available resources for victims of violent crimes, and debt relief programs from hospitals. I am currently in the long wait to be approved for social security disability. While I am hopeful that one day I will recover and return to my career, that is not a possibility at this time, and may not be a possibility for years to come.