Support Ann’s Recovery from Traumatic Brain Injury
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Ann Uzendoski is recovering from a traumatic brain injury that occurred during a car accident on May 8, 2019. The accident happened while she was driving to work. Ann taught reading recovery at the Banaadir Academy, an elementary school in Minneapolis, where she provided assistance to students who struggled with literacy and reading comprehension. Having been a teacher for five decades, Ann has served many different communities. She began her career in a one-room schoolhouse in rural Nebraska and has taught at multiple elementary schools in St. Paul and Minneapolis. She received a 2017 Excellent Educator Award from WCCO for her work at Bannadir.
After the accident, Ann was rushed to Hennepin County Medical Center for emergency brain surgery. Thanks to the excellent team at HCMC, the surgery was successful, but Ann would be in a coma for almost two months. The initial prognosis was not optimistic; the brain trauma she suffered was severe, and she was unresponsive during most of her time in the ICU. It was unlikely that she would ever be able to talk with her friends and family again.
Ann would remain in a coma for the rest of the spring, but she would begin a miraculous recovery over the summer! After awaking from her coma at Bethesda Hospital in St. Paul, Ann moved to Mount Olivet Careview Home in Minneapolis. Working with a dedicated team of therapists at Mount Olivet, Ann worked very hard on regaining her physical strength and balance while also relearning how to read, write, and speak. It was a demanding rehab schedule, and there were no days off, but Ann worked very hard and made significant progress each week. (She proved to be just as a great of a student as she is a teacher!) By the end of the summer, she was chatting daily with her sisters on Facetime, walking outside with the help of a walker, and telling jokes from her childhood.
Throughout the first stages of her recovery, dozens and dozens of family members and friends visited Ann. The staff at HCMC and Bethesda said they had never seen a patient receive so much support from so many different people! Family from Illinois, Maryland and Pennsylvania arrived within hours of the initial surgery, while friends from various periods of her life—including high school friends, former colleagues from many schools, and her Pilates instructor—visited Ann daily. It was clear that Ann had made a positive impact on many lives, and this support was crucial for the early phases of recovery. Five months after the accident, Ann finally left Mount Olivet to live at home under the care of her husband in Rosemount, Minnesota. She was overjoyed to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas with close friends and family at her own home less than a year after her accident.
Although Ann’s physical and cognitive recovery are inspiring, she is living with a severe brain injury. She continues to require 24-hour care. Ann’s family started this fundraiser to help with the following costs:
Adult day care. Ann enjoys the opportunity to interact with others and participate in crafts and other activities. Ideally she attends 1-2 days a week at $100/day.
Respite care. This allows Mick (Ann’s husband) time to work, travel for work, attend to household responsibilities, and process medical bills, legal documents, and insurance claims. Respite care workers can also transport and accompany Ann to outpatient appointments. Approximately $260/8-hour day, $700/overnight.
Rehabilitative care at Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute. Ann hopes to attend a 6-month out-patient rehab program for survivors of traumatic brain injury, at a cost of approximately $24,000.
Anyone who knows Ann understands what a truly special human being she is—as a teacher, colleague, parent, grandmother, friend, and overall inspiration to live compassionately in service to others. We thank you for considering a donation to help Ann get the care and rehabilitative services she needs to continue on her journey of recovery!
After the accident, Ann was rushed to Hennepin County Medical Center for emergency brain surgery. Thanks to the excellent team at HCMC, the surgery was successful, but Ann would be in a coma for almost two months. The initial prognosis was not optimistic; the brain trauma she suffered was severe, and she was unresponsive during most of her time in the ICU. It was unlikely that she would ever be able to talk with her friends and family again.
Ann would remain in a coma for the rest of the spring, but she would begin a miraculous recovery over the summer! After awaking from her coma at Bethesda Hospital in St. Paul, Ann moved to Mount Olivet Careview Home in Minneapolis. Working with a dedicated team of therapists at Mount Olivet, Ann worked very hard on regaining her physical strength and balance while also relearning how to read, write, and speak. It was a demanding rehab schedule, and there were no days off, but Ann worked very hard and made significant progress each week. (She proved to be just as a great of a student as she is a teacher!) By the end of the summer, she was chatting daily with her sisters on Facetime, walking outside with the help of a walker, and telling jokes from her childhood.
Throughout the first stages of her recovery, dozens and dozens of family members and friends visited Ann. The staff at HCMC and Bethesda said they had never seen a patient receive so much support from so many different people! Family from Illinois, Maryland and Pennsylvania arrived within hours of the initial surgery, while friends from various periods of her life—including high school friends, former colleagues from many schools, and her Pilates instructor—visited Ann daily. It was clear that Ann had made a positive impact on many lives, and this support was crucial for the early phases of recovery. Five months after the accident, Ann finally left Mount Olivet to live at home under the care of her husband in Rosemount, Minnesota. She was overjoyed to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas with close friends and family at her own home less than a year after her accident.
Although Ann’s physical and cognitive recovery are inspiring, she is living with a severe brain injury. She continues to require 24-hour care. Ann’s family started this fundraiser to help with the following costs:
Adult day care. Ann enjoys the opportunity to interact with others and participate in crafts and other activities. Ideally she attends 1-2 days a week at $100/day.
Respite care. This allows Mick (Ann’s husband) time to work, travel for work, attend to household responsibilities, and process medical bills, legal documents, and insurance claims. Respite care workers can also transport and accompany Ann to outpatient appointments. Approximately $260/8-hour day, $700/overnight.
Rehabilitative care at Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute. Ann hopes to attend a 6-month out-patient rehab program for survivors of traumatic brain injury, at a cost of approximately $24,000.
Anyone who knows Ann understands what a truly special human being she is—as a teacher, colleague, parent, grandmother, friend, and overall inspiration to live compassionately in service to others. We thank you for considering a donation to help Ann get the care and rehabilitative services she needs to continue on her journey of recovery!
Fundraising team: Team Ann Uzendoski (3)
Charlotte Nunes
Organizer
Rosemount, MN
Andrew Uzendoski
Beneficiary
Mick Uzendoski
Team member