The Longevity Project 2025 | Headstrong: Navigating traumatic brain injuries in the Colorado High Country
Presented by Middle Park Health and Sky-Hi News
The Longevity Project | Headstrong: Navigating traumatic brain injuries in the Colorado High Country
With endless outdoor activities that attract thrill-seekers from around the globe, mountain towns like those in Grand County see elevated rates of traumatic brain injuries, also known as TBIs. These injuries are caused by any force to the head or neck that alters the brain’s function or causes a loss of consciousness.
Battered brains: Traumatic brain injuries in the heart of Colorado’s mountains outpace state, national averages
Drew Petersen’s body bounced from rock to rock as he fell down a steep, rugged slope while skiing in Colorado’s High Country. As Petersen tumbled out of control, he banged his head at least three times, shattering the goggles he was wearing, denting his helmet and putting a gash through his forehead.Read more
Mind mend: Therapy and mental health care bring hope to cognitive recovery for traumatic brain injuries
With music filling the car and friends chatting, Jeremy Greene hit a rut while driving on Lone Hand Way near Breckenridge, sending his vehicle careening off the roadway and into a tree. First responders found Greene unconscious. For the next 85 days, he remained in a coma, leaving his parents, friends and family worried whether he would return to the vibrant life he lived prior to the accident Sept. 7, 1999.Read more.
Systemic shifts: New sports protocols and safety campaigns related to traumatic brain injuries help save lives
Arlene Karika-Thompson was walking away from the baseball diamond when the sound of a metal bat rang throughout the complex. When she returned, she noticed her 10-year-old son on the bench. Moments later, he returned to the game and was hit by a runner. Visibly shaken, her son was removed. Not thinking anything was out of the ordinary, she drove her son home. The next morning, things took a turn for the worse.Read more
Healing headway: Colorado mountain towns work to overcome increased risk posed by traumatic brain injuries in rural areas
With her arms full of kindling for her fireplace at home, Julie Mahoney slipped and crashed to the ground, hitting her head on the road and knocking her unconscious. When symptoms from her fall persisted for weeks, Mahoney decided it would be best to see a physician. When she went in to see a doctor, tests were able to determine that she had been living with a brain injury for the past several months.Read more
