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Runner defies odds following traumatic brain injury

Randy Rozek • May 7, 2017

A distance runner in Colorado has defied the odds following a severe head injury and is set to run a 10K just three years and 11 months following a crash that left her severely injured and in a coma. An article by the Daily Camera News explains that Susi Devrient’s goal for this year’s Bolder […]

A distance runner in Colorado has defied the odds following a severe head injury and is set to run a 10K just three years and 11 months following a crash that left her severely injured and in a coma.

An article by the Daily Camera News explains that Susi Devrient’s goal for this year’s Bolder Boulder 10K was not just to run, but to run and not lose pace to the end of the race.

Devrient was in a coma that doctors said she would never wake from nearly four years ago. Now she is set to cross the finish line at Folsom Field.

“In 2013, Devrient suffered a severe traumatic brain injury when a driver parking his car literally ran her over,” the article reads. “It was one of the most harrowing incidents involving a driver hitting a pedestrian in Boulder County, one of the first responders said, and no one at the scene imagined that today she would be alive or enjoying such a high quality of life.”

A photo accompanying the article shows Devrient training for the race at Waneka Lake Park in Lafayette. Devrient is sporting a shirt in the photo that reads “I survived a brain injury , what’s your superpower?”

The Center for Disease Control says a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is caused by a bump, blow or jolt to a person’s head and it’s a major cause of disability and death across the U.S.

“Emergency rooms and hospitals report a general increase of cases over the last decade, with 2.8 million TBI-related ER visits, hospitalizations and deaths occurring in 2013 — the most recent year for which statistics are available. Survivors report multiple long-lasting effects, such as memory loss, impaired vision, hearing or speech, lack of hand-eye coordination, poor balance, fatigue and emotional changes, notably depression,” the CDC reports.

Devrient is set to run the 10K on Memorial Day. She not only trains and runs in long-distance marathons – she also shoots nature photography and spends time volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. At 57-years-old, Devrient says it’s thanks to first responders and doctors at Denver Health and Craig Hospital, the love and support from friends and neighbors, her Labrador retriever named Blue, and multiple fitness experts that she’s able to enjoy her life and pursue her passions.

“I’m also just stubborn,” Devrient says with a smile. “Life is tough, but so am I.”

According to CDC, the majority of deaths from TBIs are due to vehicle accidents, and TBI-related deaths account for 30 percent of all deaths caused by injury. Like many people with TBI, Devrient has no memory of the event, or 17 days after, which speaks to her diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Amnesia.

Devrient told reporters that throughout her extensive recovery, she already knew it was her goal to run in the Bolder Boulder again.

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