Support Survivors by Giving Ten for TSN!

Ten for TSN is a campaign for anyone who wants to support the Trauma Survivors Network program to continue its mission to help trauma survivors and families survive, connect, and rebuild. The TSN program continues to expand support services for survivors and families throughout the United States, Canada, and online. Donating $10 for TSN can be a great way to honor a special trauma survivor or family member or friend you know or to honor a special medical team that has been part of your own survivor story.

  • To participate in Ten for TSN, select "Trauma Survivors Network" from the donation list on the American Trauma Society website donation page.
  • If you're on the go, you can also text "TSN" to 703-215-4011 to initiate the giving process. 
If you would like to give your donation to honor a special survivor, family/friend, or medical team, please share this in the  Donor Comments section. The TSN will be recognizing all of the honored survivors, family/friends, and medical teams at the quarterly American Trauma Society's Board of Directors meetings. 

You can give more than $10! We kept the requested amount low so most everyone can participate, but  we greatly appreciate your generosity if you are able to give a larger amount. For donations of appreciated securities, please contact the national office at (703) 538-3544. 

You can participate in Trauma Survivor's Day in another way as well! You can post a picture or video using the National Trauma Survivor Day instructions. You can also share your story as a trauma survivor or a family/friend of a trauma survivor for the Survivor Stories or Stories from Family & Friends resources on the TSN Website. Just contact Eileen Flores, National TSN Coordinator at eflores@amtrauma.org for more information. 

Celebrate Trauma Awareness Month This May!
 
The American Trauma Society, in collaboration with the Society of Trauma Nurses, is once again pleased to present National Trauma Awareness Month.  This year is National Trauma Awareness Month's 30th anniversary. May is set aside to raise awareness of the reality of traumatic injuries that occur each day, the lives that are impacted by trauma, and the medical teams dedicated to providing life-saving care.
May 16, 2018 is National Trauma Survivors Day!

Each year, the 3rd Wednesday in May is set aside as National Trauma Survivors Day (NTSD). This special day provides support and encouragement for trauma survivors and their families/friends who show courage and strength in the healing process.

On May 16, you can show your support to honor and encourage trauma survivors. It’s easy!

Print this sign and write your words of advice or inspiration. 

  • Take your picture holding the sign.
  • Upload the sign to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram with #TraumaSurvivorsDay and #NTSD
  • Tag your friends and family along with your Trauma Center.
Highlighting Trauma Survivor: David Fransisco

David Francisco is an accomplished singer/songwriter, musician and a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) survivor.

After graduating from the University of Tennessee Knoxville, with a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering in 2014, David chose to travel throughout Europe on a quest to consider the next phase of his life. He determined he would forego a traditional career in engineering to instead pursue music creation as his full time endeavor.

He opened and operated a small recording studio in Knoxville for a couple of years before deciding to enhance his producing and engineering skills by attending the world renowned Blackbird Academy in Nashville Tennessee. Three weeks after moving to Nashville, his tragedy struck.

While riding his bicycle home from school at lunch to feed his dog, David was t-boned by a distracted driver who ran a red light at a busy intersection. His body slammed into the windshield, launched 10 feet into the air and crashed into the pavement. His spinal cord severely damaged and his left forearm severely cut. It was April 27, 2016, and his life was forever changed. He immediately was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville Tennessee, where he received excellent medical care.

He was later transferred to the Shepherd Rehabilitation Center in Atlanta Georgia, where he endured intensive in-patient Physical Therapy (PT). He focused all of his efforts on regaining any possible mobility. In January 2017, David returned to Nashville and then graduated from the Blackbird Academy in June 2017. His journey is also documented in the short film “Back To Blackbird”.

David is also a former “American Idol” contestant, and returned home to Knoxville, Tennessee to take the stage at the Rhythm ‘Blooms Festival. This was his first time home to Knoxville since appearing on national television. David is extremely talented and plays the saxophone, piano, guitar and vocals. He is a prolific songwriter, music producer, and performer. He inspires others with his talent and his story of coming back after being hit by a car while on his bike.

David has an album full of original songs coming out this summer 2018 and a 500 mile bike ride called the “David Francisco Ride for Hope”. It’s an inspirational 11-day journey down the coast of California to celebrate people who are overcoming life’s unexpected challenges. Led by a small group of music industry professionals, they will be highlighting various organizations who are key to helping others become Trauma Survivors and Overcomers.

To learn more about David Francisco, visit: davidfranciscomusic.com

David with his wife Kristi Platillero and with the University of Tennessee Medical Center Knoxville Trauma Survivor Network Clinical Coordinator, Therese Zaltash.
Highlighting Trauma Survivor: Jason Koger
Jason Koger is a trauma survivor and upper extremity amputee. He is from Owensboro, Kentucky. Jason is married to his beautiful wife, Jenny and they have 2 daughters, Billie Grace and Cambell, and a son, Axell. Jason graduated from Murray State University and with an Engineering Degree.  

On March 1, 2008, while riding an ATV around his grandfather’s farm, Jason came in contact with a power line that was down. 7200 volts of electricity rushed through his body leading to severe traumatic injuries. Jason was air lifted to the burn unit at Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he was under the medical care of Dr. Jeffery Guy. Jason shares that in order to save his life, the necessary decision to amputate both hands was made. Jason was placed in an induced coma for 3 days. After 12 days, Jason was released and discharged home to Kentucky to continue his recovery. Jason shares that during his hospital stay, Dr. Guy spent time with Jason and spoke with him about making personal goals and striving to reach those goals. Jason shares that as his daughters were very young at the time of his accident, and his first goal was to hold his children again. With the help of Dr. Guy, Jason accomplished this first goal while in the hospital, which opened a path for Jason to set and achieve even more goals. Jason shares that a month later, with permission from his doctor and help from friends and family, he returned to his love of hunting.

When starting the recovery process, Jason decided to not give up. Jason shares that every day, he woke up and thought of goals that he wanted to reach. Those goals started out as feeding himself to dressing himself. While going through therapy and working through challenges, Jason started to move forward. Jason shares that from the very beginning of his healing process, he kept his faith and believed that God would give him the strength to overcome. Jason shares that it was helpful not to worry about what tomorrow had in store, but to simply live in the moment. This led to feeling grateful that he had another day with his family. Along with a strong faith, Jason shares he had help from his wife, kids, parents, sister, in-laws, friends, and his community. He worked extremely hard and learn to accept the fact that he would fail, but that failure could give him the determination to succeed. 

Since his injuries, Jason shares that he has become the 1st bilateral arm amputee in the world with bionic hands. He has been seen on Hawaii 5-0, Apple commercial, CNN, Dr. Gupta, several magazines and national news. Jason’s goals grew through time as he became the first bilateral arm amputee to hunt and kill a bear with a crossbow. Jason has also been involved with a clothing line, “SAY I WONT”. Today, Jason enjoys helping amputees and other survivors to be successful. He is a motivational speaker and loves giving back. One event the he is especially proud to have hosted is called “Handing Back”. During this event, celebrities that Jason now knows have come to his home town and raised money for charitable organizations within his community. Jason is proud to be a survivor and to encourage other survivors that even after trauma, life can still be good. 

To learn more about Jason Koger, visit: jasonkoger.com. Jason welcomes followers on Instagram @jkoger84 or his public Facebook page.
Highlighting Trauma Survivor: Brian Boyle

Every two seconds somebody in the U.S. needs blood. As a former trauma patient, I experienced this firsthand back in 2004.

My story begins one month after graduating from high school. I was coming home from swim practice, and I was involved in a near fatal car accident. The impact of the crash shifted my heart across my chest and collapsed my lungs. Just like my dreams for the future, my ribs, pelvis, and left clavicle were shattered. I sustained damage to practically every major organ in my body, including laceration of the liver and kidneys, and I experienced 60 percent blood loss.

Using the jaws of life, the rescue squads and firefighters had to free me from the wreckage at the accident scene. They later received awards for their abilities in rescuing me. I was immediately medevaced to Prince George's Hospital Trauma Center. I was practically dead on arrival when I arrived at the hospital. I was soon given the last rites and my parents had to make the difficult decision to invite my family and friends to come say their final goodbyes, because it would be a miracle if I could survive the first 24 hours.

I survived the first day, followed by the second, and I would ultimately spend the next two months on life support in a coma. During this time frame, I underwent 14 major operations, received 36 blood transfusions and 13 plasma treatments. I ended up losing a total of 100 pounds. I remember overhearing that there was a strong possibility that I would spend the rest of my life in a nursing home in a vegetative state.

I’ll never forget the pain and suffering in the eyes of my parents, and I soon realized that what they were experiencing was far worse than my own pain. After a little over a month and a half, I began making my slow comeback from my paralyzed state. Starting with the blinking of an eye, the most subtle shake of a hand and eventually a faint smile, my parents knew that I was still there and fighting for them.

I began several months of intense physical therapy where I had to relearn how to talk, eat, tie my shoes, take a shower, and eventually walk with a cane. One year after the accident, I was beginning my freshman year in college and I had the fortunate opportunity to swim in the first swim meet. In October 2007, the healing was finally complete when I crossed the finish line of the Hawaii Ironman triathlon.

To show my sincere gratitude, I went back to the rescue squads and various hospitals to thank these amazing people firsthand. I soon began speaking with other patients and families to offer support, motivation, and help them navigate as they began their journeys of healing. To further help improve the patient experience, I became a dedicated patient and healthcare advocate and began traveling the world speaking with medical organizations, hospital associations, and many patients and families about their experiences in the health care setting.

After many conversations with my care providers, I became aware that there was also another group of people that played a very important role in my survival — my 36 blood donors.

For more than a decade, I have proudly supported the Red Cross mission by hosting dozens of blood drives across the country, donating blood on several occasions, speaking at hundreds of events to raise awareness on the importance of blood donation, participating in more than five dozen endurance events wearing 36 tiny red crosses on my race suit in honor of my blood donors. I wanted to do all that I could to offer support for patients in need.

I received 36 blood transfusions over the course of my emergency treatment and recovery. I think about these selfless people every single day. Their blood was not only lifesaving, but also lifegiving.

Since my trauma, I’ve been able to make a full recovery, finish college, go on to earn my master’s degree at Johns Hopkins University and get married in 2013. My most cherished moment over the years came about last July when my wife and I welcomed our first child into this world, a daughter that we named Clara in honor of Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross.

As a former trauma patient and blood recipient, I have dedicated my life to supporting the Red Cross mission. By giving just one hour of their time, my blood donors not only helped give me the chance at a lifetime, but to also bring new life into this world.

To find opportunities to give blood, visit: RedCrossBlood.org.

The ATS Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary
The mission of the American Trauma Society (ATS) is Saving Lives, Improving Care, and Empowering Survivors. The Trauma Survivors Network is a program of the American Trauma Society to actively support trauma survivors and families once trauma has occurred. The ATS is also dedicated to the elimination of needless death and disability from injury.

For the past 50 years, ATS has served as an advocate for the trauma care system, trauma prevention programs, and trauma survivors and their families throughout the United States. The ATS goals are to prevent injury whenever possible, and to ensure optimal treatment of trauma when it does occur.

The ATS strongly supports national and state legislation that creates and maintains trauma systems. It works closely with the U.S. Congress, various federal agencies and with the office of the President, supporting legislative and administrative efforts that address the financial and legal issues surrounding trauma.

The ATS provides critical information on trauma to its members, to policy makers, and to the public. It supports the needs of families. It is also a strong supporter of injury prevention, creating and providing these programs to its members.

The members of ATS are the critical players in trauma care. They are the backbone of trauma systems. They provide the care trauma patients must have if they are to survive. The ATS works with its members to insure that they are the best informed and the best prepared to provide unsurpassed medical best care in their communities.

Please join the ATS in celebrating 50 years!
Copyright © 2017, American Trauma Society, All rights reserved.

Trauma Survivors Network
c/o American Trauma Society
201 Park Washington Court - Falls Church, VA 22046
800-556-7890 / info@amtrauma.org

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